Prom Night
by emmish
Summary: Co-written with SpeedofSound60. Prom Night is coming up - well-laid plans are thwarted, stubborn minds are changed and curious encounters lead to surprising conclusions. Promptis!
1. Chapter 1

Prompto set his camera down and leaned back against the park bench. He closed his eyes against the cloudless sky, letting the sun warm his skin. The light breeze carried with it the sweet smell of spring blossoms. The quiet chatter of birds would barely be noticeable to passer-by's not taking the time to sit and listen.

With only three weeks of high school remaining, the blond was certain he was going to miss these lazy afternoon strolls home. This park was almost like his own personal haven. Well off the beaten path, his visits here usually afforded him the luxury of solitude. It was where he did most of his thinking, and not to mention taken some of his very best photos. When school ended, he would need to find a job. Things would get busy. There would be little time for afternoon walks, or spontaneous photo sessions at the park.

 _ **~Vroom, vroom~**_

Prompto's thoughts were interrupted by the special notification sound reserved especially for Noctis ever since the day his father had given him the Regalia as an early graduation gift. Noct sure loved revving that engine nice and loud before tearing asphalt out the driveway. King Regis was no doubt regretting his decision ever since.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Prompto leaned over to afford himself enough shade to see the screen.

 _N: What's up?_

 _P: At the park. Grabbing some shots on the way home._ (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b You?

 _N: Not much. Asked Luna to prom…_

 _P: And? What did she say?_

 _N: Yes, of course._

 _P: Sweet! Congratulations man! So happy for you guys._ ヽ(∀ )ノ

 _N: Meh, whatever. At least now Gladio will finally shut up about it. What about you?_

 _P: I told you before, not going._

 _N: I can hook you up if you need a date. Iris maybe? Just tell me who._

 _P: Sooo not interested dude._

 _N: You know you have to. It's supposed to be the best night ever. And I need my wingman._

 _P: Trust me. Prom is best left to the popular crowd… and princes, of course._ (･ω)

 _N: Common man, it's prom. If I have to suffer through it, you are coming with._

 _P: Nope, still not going!_

 _N: Fine. Dropping it._ ╮( ˘ ､ ˘ )╭

* * *

Prompto sighed and tucked his phone back into his pocket. He stood from the bench, stuffing his camera into his school bag and beginning the rest of his walk home. The blond stopped short in front of the candy shop window that taunted him every afternoon. Noctis was going to prom with Luna. With Luna. The blond imagined he should feel happy for his best friend. So why was there a tight knot forming in his throat? Pushing the feelings aside, he decided it was nothing a giant bag of candy couldn't fix.

* * *

Prompto offered a self-conscious "Hey," to the young woman behind the counter who had startled him with an enthusiastic greeting, and blushed, taking out his phone and fumbling through old messages in an effort to appear too busy for chit-chat. He knew that, had he been interested in going to the prom, chit-chat would have been the very least of the requirements in acquiring a date. But the fact was, whilst he could blag his way through life where absolutely necessary with smiles and jokes and acting the fool, it was quite frankly tiring. He sometimes wondered whether he managed to lose all that weight through the sheer exhausting effort of pretending to be happy-go-lucky for so long.

Deciding that he didn't need to pretend to text in order to look distracted, he thumbed through to Noct's message log as he cast a brief eye over the jars of brightly-coloured bon-bons and chocolates, and typed a few new words.

 _P: Noct, dude, order me not to buy these sweets before I regret waking up tomorrow as a fat little Garula._

 _N: Fat Garulas are cute._

 _P: Wow. Didn't know the prince was into that sorta thing._

 _N: What can I say? I'm full of surprises._ (⌐■_■)

 _P: Ok your majesty, one giant bag of candy coming right up!_ ( ・・)つ-●●●

 _N: Better save some for me._

* * *

Two hours later, Prompto sat in front of his laptop on the verge of needing a doctor for his massive sugar overdose. His stomach was starting to protest as he had binge eaten all of his share of the sweets, as well as the prince's. He crumpled up the empty bags, tossing them in the trash so he wouldn't need to see them and feel guilty. There would be plenty of time for that at school tomorrow when Noctis asked him for his candy.

That one final biology assignment he'd hoped to crank out tonight was looking more impossible by the minute. Giving up, he closed his computer and rubbed his temples hoping to dull the migraine that was setting in. He wondered what Noctis would wear to prom. Certainly, he'd choose to wear black, and no matter what he wore, he would look great. Great with Luna.

And naturally, Noctis would end up as Prom King, no doubt. Regardless of the fact that he didn't really have any friends apart from Prompto (his own words), and that the few people who were brave enough to speak to him only wanted to get selfies with him or some sort of royal gossip, he would probably win the vote anyway. With Luna as his Queen, another obvious shoo-in with her perfect hair and skin and grades and popularity.

The thought of the flawless couple made Prompto's stomach wrench reactively, and he managed to feel even more queasy than before. He got up wearily and pushed open his window, ramming the swollen frame in just the right place to avoid it sticking, and sighed happily at the cool early-evening breeze that assailed him, making him shiver pleasantly. Feeling a little less nauseous, he pulled his phone from his jeans and tapped out another message to his best friend.

 _P: Gods save me from zygotes and chromosomes and ALL SCIENCE EVER_ ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ

The blond waited anxiously, staring at the screen of his phone for the prince's reply. He realized how pathetic he was, hanging on Noctis' every word like a starved puppy. He just couldn't ever get enough. Worse than an addict jonesing for another hit, he went to his photos and browsed through the ones of himself and Noctis together. There was that knot in his throat again, when he thought of how photogenic Noctis and Luna would be in their prom pictures.

Several minutes passed with no response and Prompto felt his heart sink. Knowing Noctis, he had probably fallen into one of his epic naps and wouldn't be heard from for the rest of the night. Giving up, Prompto decided he would distract himself with some King's Knight. Maybe he could beat Gladio's high score if he tried hard enough. It would certainly be sweet revenge for Gladio's harassment of Noctis about taking Luna to prom.

Prompto was in the process of upgrading his weapons on King's Knight with the few coins he hadn't already squandered on his character's outfit (shallow, but he hated being generic…he felt that his pixelated little pseud mirrored him in that way…all show, and no substance).

He was thumbing through the equipment options, tutting quietly at his lack of funds, when his phone buzzed sharply. He was briefly irritated by the interruption, before he glanced at the top of the screen and read the fresh message notification.

 _N: Ur just freaked out by all the reproduction stuff (_ • )( • )ԅ(≖‿≖ԅ)

 _P: Hey man, no fair! I'm not freaked out, just… inexperienced? Lol_

 _N: Yeah, you could stand to learn a thing or two from this master._

 _They both knew what an all-out lie that was, and Prompto tried to tame his laughter._

 _P: Sure, master. Whatever you say! XD_

 _N: Brb, Luna's calling._

With a sigh, the blond returned to his game of King's Knight, thinking this is probably what he had to look forward to from now on. Taking second place to the princess was going to take some getting used to. He realized this was just the beginning of the inevitable. He was a fool to ever believe Noctis could be his alone forever.

 _N: Shit. Luna just cancelled._

 _P: What? For real?_

 _N: Yep. Said she hadn't checked her schedule b4… the date conflicts with the Fleuret family coronation…_

Prompto suddenly found himself awash with emotions. Guilt, for feeling oddly relieved. Disappointment, on behalf of his best friend who was no doubt looking forward to prom for his first real date. Anger, that anyone would be senseless enough to turn down a date with Noctis, let alone a date for prom of all things. It was beyond his comprehension.

 _P: I'm sorry dude. Wanna take the Regalia out for a spin and talk about it?_

 _N: Ur the only one I can talk to._

 _P: Dude, get ur ass over here and pick me up. Srsly._

 _N: You only like me for my car_ ( ； ⌣̀_ ⌣́)

 _P: Yeah... the Regalia is pretty hawt._

 _N: Bring your camera. I wanna use it._

 _P: Deal. Now hurry up and get here already!_

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Noctis was scrubbing his eyes and fluffing his messy black hair as he halted his car with a thrumming jolt, satisfyingly noisy, outside Prompto's apartment. He pushed open the heavy door, taking a deep breath of the crisp, blue, breezy evening air before bundling himself out onto the narrow street, slamming the Regalia's door behind him. Feeling altogether too lethargic to go to his best friend's door, he sent a languid text.

 _N: Here._

Prompto was scrambling to get his things together when he heard the screeching tires outside, signalling Noctis' arrival. As his phone started going off, he went through his mental checklist before jetting out the front door of his building.

'Wallet? Check. Keys? Check. Charging cord for the camera, in case we run out of juice? Check. Hair styled perfectly? Oh yeah, baby!' he thought with a grin as he stopped for a second to look back at the glass doors to check himself out.

Noctis smirked as he leaned against the glossy door of the car, anticipating, through experience, his best friend's self-conscious, extended routine. He folded his arms before peering up at Prompto's apartment, thumbing instinctively a final text.

 _N: Get a move on. You look fine._

As Prompto made his way down the walk toward the Regalia, he saw Noctis leaning against the car looking as if he were a model belonging on one of the many billboards around Insomnia. His raven hair was shining in the light of the setting sun, the gentle breeze blowing his bangs ever so slightly in front of his eyes. Prompto tried unsuccessfully to quell the fluttering in his chest. He wondered how he got so lucky. Although he knew he'd probably have some work cut out for him to cheer up the prince after practically being dumped before his first date even got started, Prompto was still excited to spend time with his best friend. He decided to make it his own personal mission to ensure Noctis had forgotten all about Luna by the time he went home tonight.

"Hope you're prepared from some royal moping," Noctis chuckled, offering the blond a dry smile. "I wanna borrow your camera, too. Wanna take the wheel?" he asked, gesturing one pale hand towards the smooth wheel of the Regalia.

"Ok sure, but does this mean we can go wherever I say?" Prompto asked with a grin.

"...You wanna go to that city farm with chocobos?" Noctis asked, offering a sweet chuckle, and unfolding his arms.

Although the prince had totally called it, and Prompto was 100% guilty as charged, he moved quickly to Plan B. "Actually, there's somewhere else I'd like to show you."

Noctis' delicate features pulled into a playful, fond grimace, and he shrugged carelessly. "I leave it in your hands...famous last words," the Prince muttered, slapping the blond on his backside on his way to the driver's seat, sniggering.

Once inside the car, Prompto gripped his fingers around the steering wheel with excitement. It wasn't every day he was afforded the luxury of driving Noctis' new, pimped-out ride. Despite any royal moping he may be subject to from the passenger's seat, he knew this was going to be fun. As he turned the key, he gave the car some gas and listened to the engine roar. Shooting the prince an intriguing smile, they pulled away from the curb towards his chosen destination.

"So," Noctis uttered loudly, over the buffeting breeze that assaulted them, which flurried their styled hair and stole their breath as they sped along the quiet street. "Any clues?"

"It's somewhere you've never been before, but I go there all the time," the blond offered up.

"...So...a brothel?'" Noct chuckled, pressing his own knuckle against his lips as he amused himself with his teasing.

"Very funny," the blond replied, humorously rolling his eyes. "You'll see when we get there!"


	2. Chapter 2

Noctis was enjoying the comfortable silence between them as the car surfed serenely down the wide streets, but he was considering turning on some music, when Prompto started humming to himself happily.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were enjoying my misery," the Prince teased him.

The blond glanced over at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "Hey man, would I be that mean?"

"Yes, yes you would," snickered Noctis as he reached out and purposely messed up his best friend's hair. "This little trip better be worth it. You totally held out on that candy for me. Don't think I forgot about that," Noctis murmured warningly.

Prompto had hoped his friend hadn't remembered that little fact. But seeing that Noctis had taken out his camera and was fiddling with the settings, Prompto decided to change the subject and asked "So hey, what did you wanna take pictures of?"

"...Just...I wanted to see what all the fuss was about," he mumbled vaguely. "...You know...give us something to...talk about," he shrugged, his face obscured by heavy, dark hair as he focussed intently on the camera's screen, his voice very quiet by the time he had finished his sentence.

It was hard for the blond to hide his smile. Prince Noctis, looking for something to talk to __him__ about? Prompto figured getting dumped really must have messed with his best friend's head. But still, the comment was endearing, and the blond suddenly felt really excited to let Noctis in on his own little piece of paradise.

Noctis didn't look up, instead swearing in quiet surprise when he pressed something that made the flash suddenly go off in his lap."...You're gonna have to help me with this," he smirked.

"Don't worry, this technophile has you covered," the blond grinned, pointing to himself.

"I think you mean 'nerd,'" the Prince jibed fondly.

"Yeah, maybe that too..." Prompto admitted. The two rode again in comfortable silence as the evening sun flickered golden rays between the buildings as they passed.

"...Haven't changed your mind about prom?" Noctis asked distantly, resting his chin on his palm as he closed his eyes, enjoying the cooling breeze that was making him shiver occasionally, picking up his dark hair and leaving it in careless tufts all over his head.

"Why? You asking me to be your date?" Prompto questioned playfully at the nonchalant invitation.

"Well, considering you and Luna are basically the only people I know at school, I'm kinda running out of options," Noctis joked. "But you know what…I think I'm outta your league," he challenged, turning his head and winking at the blond.

"Sheesh, way to make a guy feel special," replied Prompto behind a goofy grin that was intended to mask the truth in Noctis' last statement. He knew Noctis had intended it to be a joke, but the simple fact of the matter was that the Prince was way too far up the food chain to be seen at prom with a useless plebe like himself.

"Hey look! We're here!" announced the blond as he took extra care to pull the Regalia into a curb-side parking spot.

"And where would __here__ be, exactly?" asked Noctis, looking around and wondering why they had stopped.

Prompto turned toward his best friend with a look of confidence. "Just trust me, dude. Grab the camera and let's go."

With the fragrance of greenery and spring blossoms welcoming them as they rolled out of the Regalia, the two began the slow and leisurely stroll down the gravel pathway towards Prompto's favourite inner-city park.

The blond laughed as he listened to Noctis take a large, lung-busting breath, letting it out in a happy sigh.

"Cool," the Prince stated laconically. "And look," he offered, pointing to a verdant clearing to their left, where a peripatetic ice cream stall had set itself up, the young man on the stall serving cones and ice lollies to a growing crowd of small children and their parents.

"Stop trying to make me fat again, dude," Prompto whined with playful drama. "I don't wanna be part of your weird Garula fantasies."

"Heh. You should be so lucky," Noctis joked, giving his friend a spirited shove on the shoulder that sent Prompto clumsily bouncing a few steps forward over the loose gravel path.

"Hey, man! Play nice, and maybe I'll consider getting us some ice cream," propositioned the blond.

"Duscaen orange," ordered Noctis with a cool smirk as he took a seat on one of the park benches and stretched both arms casually across the back of the wrought iron frame.

"Got it. One duscaen orange and one ulwaat berry ice cream. Be right back, your highness!" Prompto gave an exaggerated bow before the Prince, and sprightly walked over to procure the icy treats.

Prompto was just paying for the cooling sweets, glancing back at Noctis and tutting when he saw him reclining with his eyes closed, hoping that he wasn't falling asleep…the man could probably nap quite comfortably on a lava flow, for goodness' sakes. The young man with interesting lip piercings was taking his change and handing him the ice creams when he nodded in the dozing Prince's direction.

"Your boyfriend's gonna get mugged if he's not careful," he chuckled.

For a moment, Prompto contemplated correcting the man, but he rather liked how it sounded. "Thanks", the blond replied with an awkward smile as he grabbed the two ice cream cones and shuffled past the others in the line to return to the Prince.

Sure enough, Noctis was napping quietly on the park bench when Prompto arrived with both hands occupied. The blond plunked himself down and shimmied his way into the space next to Noctis, gently nudging the Prince with his shoulder. "Hey. Wake up, dude. Ice cream's here," Prompto said quietly as dark eyelashes flickered open.

"I'm completely awake. Just…move that in the direction of my mouth," Noctis yawned, grinning as his eyes closed once more.

Raising his eyebrow at the lazy request, Prompto decided to take Noctis at his word, and promptly pushed the freezing tip of the orange ice cream against the tip of the Prince's nose. "Whoops," he shrugged innocently.

Noctis jolted upright and brought the back of his gloved hand to his nose. "Hey, I wanna eat it, not wear it," he scoffed, while grabbing the cone from his friend and diving into the cold treat. "Mmm, not bad," the Prince critiqued, shooting a half-impressed glance into expectant sapphire eyes.

"You still have… a little," Prompto mumbled, leaning in and using his thumb to softly wipe away the rest of the sticky residue from the edge of Noctis' nose, then absentmindedly licking the digit clean.

The Prince stared at his friend's action with curious intensity, and then abruptly looked away, looking half baffled, and half concerned.

Before Prompto could question his friend's expression (or his own action), Noctis was looking back at him directly, and speaking again.

"Lemme try some of yours."

The blond nodded and held out his cone. His eyes narrowed when Noctis snickered, and proceeded to bump Prompto's hand in order to smash the berry ice cream into his nose, earning him a sweet yelp. Wasting no time, the Prince swiped one finger through the pink cream on Prompto's freckled skin, and sucked it into his own mouth around a fiendish grin.

"Not bad."

Prompto's smile broadened. "So mean!" he light-heartedly griped, sinking back against the seat and cleaning his face with his forearm. He hoped the warm flush spreading across his cheeks from the sight of the solitary digit gliding past the Prince's lips would go unnoticed.

"Hey," said Noct, making Prompto glance back in his direction.

 _Click_.

"Heh, can't miss a shot like that." Noctis lowered the camera, his gaze settling smugly upon his friend who was pink with embarrassment.

They finished the rest of their ice cream while the park patrons thinned, the vendor packing up his signage and closing up shop for the evening. The sun slowly dipped below the treetops, illuminating brilliant beams of light over the clearing. Prompto grabbed the camera, flicked a few of the settings, and handed it back to Noctis. "If you wanna take some _real_ photos, follow me."

* * *

Taking Noctis by the wrist and pulling the lazy Prince from the bench, Prompto led them across the clearing to a narrow winding path through the forest. The leaves danced shadows over the pair while they passed through stands of large birch trees, eventually arriving at a trickling creek lined with mossy boulders.

"You're not gonna murder me here, are you?" Noctis joked, as he surveyed the beautiful albeit isolated spot. "I'm disappointed, dude. I thought we were buddies."

"Why would I ever want to rid myself of the only real friend I've ever had?" The blond leaned against a boulder and wove his fingers together behind his neck in contemplation. "You know, I seriously don't think I could have made it through high school without you, dude. So, like, I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks… or whatever," the teen mumbled awkwardly.

"Pretty hard to believe we only have three weeks left, huh?" the Prince reflected.

"Y...yeah," Prompto murmured. In actuality, he had been trying (far too successfully, if his current cold tingles of terror at the idea were anything to go by) to ignore that particular fact. He truly had no idea what he was going to do with himself. And the knowledge that, in all likelihood, he and Noctis would permanently go their separate ways, made his stomach churn, his head swim and his heart sick.

Trying his best to swallow back the panic, Prompto tried changing the subject. "So, um, you wanna take some pictures?" he asked with a weak smile while gesturing at the camera in Noct's hand. "You gotta admit, this right now is what every photographer's dreams are made of," added the blond, diverting his gaze toward the creeks' mirrored, bubbling pools.

"I wouldn't know. But this is what I wanna learn," Noctis chuckled, lifting the heavy, well-loved camera to his face. "There are so many buttons," he observed, pouting slightly. "Show me."

Prompto scooted over to the boulder where Noctis was leaning, and arm to arm with the Prince started to point out the various camera settings. "This one right here is for single shot autofocus mode, and this one is the focus lock, which basically means you can position the subject anywhere in the frame of the picture and as long as you remain the same distance away, it will always stay sharp." Prompto enthusiastically babbled on about exposure compensation, shutter priority, white balance, and ISO settings until he noticed Noctis had grown quiet. Finally stopping for air, the blond glanced up at the Prince, afraid his companion may have dozed off during the tutorial.

Noctis was staring at his friend, a bemused expression on his pale features.

"Uh…yeah. You kinda lost me there. How about you just point at the button that makes it take a picture."

Grinning, Prompto obliged, poking at a medium sized grey button on top of the camera.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Noctis teased. "Right, now…uh, go stand by that little pool," he gestured, "and do your thing."

Prompto trotted to stand by the crisp, cold brook that had trickled from small beginnings and into a deep-looking, lily-strewn oasis. "My 'thing?' And what would that be?" the blond enquired, amused and curious.

"Uh, you know…" Noctis mumbled, his head down, and once again using his long, black hair as a shield. "Look all sunny and cute," he said, voice cracked and quiet enough to be almost silent.

The words, albeit barely audible, made Prompto's heart jump against his chest. "Like this?" the blond asked with a widened smile, his forearms crossed in front of him with two fingers extended on each hand.

 _Click._

"That's good, keep going," commanded the Prince, transfixed on the camera's viewfinder.

Next, Prompto pretended to flex his muscles, Gladio-style. "How's this, Prince Charmless?" he asked in a deep, raspy voice. The blond's impersonation of the body guard roused a chuckle from Noctis.

 _Click_.

The blond threw up a pair of hook horns, licking out his tongue, when suddenly to his horror, one of the rocks beneath him gave way, causing him to lose his balance. "Woah!" Prompto cried, plummeting backwards, arms flailing as he fell into the knee-deep pool of water with a splash.

 _Click._

"Hey, no fair!" squeaked the blond, pulling a lily pad from his flattened, dripping hair. "Now _that_ is the money shot," laughed the Prince loudly, as Prompto shot him dirty looks. Still laughing, Noctis carefully set the camera down on one of the boulders and went to help Prompto, extending a hand toward the soggy teen. But instead of pulling himself up, the blond grabbed a hold of the Prince's hand and gave it a quick yank, sending Noctis flying face-first into pool beside him.

"Ugh!" Noctis exclaimed gruffly, after coughing out a mouthful of cold, vaguely vegetative-tasting water and hauling himself to a standing position, his clothes saturated and suddenly about fifteen times as heavy. "Now _that_ is not fair! I would've offered you my jacket and everything," he sulked.

Prompto, amused by his accomplishment, climbed to his feet beside the Prince, using Noctis' arm to regain his balance. "You deserved it," he said brazenly, appraising Noctis who looked something akin to a drowned rat.

"I think I got some good photos anyway," Noct shrugged, shivering reactively. "You know I can't go home like this. Iggy will flip his lid," he complained, as he began to wade unsteadily towards the rocky edge of the brook, looking up as he did and squinting at the rapidly darkening sky.

Wringing out the bottom of his shirt as best he could, the blond clumsily waded out of the pool. Throwing an arm around the shivering Prince, he smiled and quipped, "Don't be mad, buddy. I'll find a way to make it up to you."

"Then, how about you go to prom? With me." Noctis added, shifting his gaze away uncomfortably.

"Y..." Prompto started, teeth already threatening to chatter as previously unnoticed evening breezes clung to their wet clothes and chilled their damp scalps. "Out of all the things you could ask for, you want that?" he laughed.

"I just… you know," Noctis uttered, "want graduation to be special, I guess."

Prompto, feeling the familiar skip in his chest, didn't quite know what to say. Apparently this prom thing was a bigger deal for Noct than he had thought. "Man, it's f-f-freezing," Prompto stuttered, rubbing his friend's shoulder vigorously to generate body heat. "What do you say we get into some dry clothes at my place?" the blond asked as the pair began their walk back to the Regalia.

Deciding not to push his luck with the subject that Prompto was clearly reluctant to broach, Noctis nodded, sweeping his wet, overlong hair out of his eyes. "Thanks for the camera lesson. You'll have to let me know how they come out."

The best friends marched quietly through the park as the night air gnawed mercilessly at their damp skin. Finally making it back to the car, the two hurriedly climbed inside. The engine came to life and Prompto, whose lips were looking a little blue, cranked the heat on high.

"Uh Gods, that feels good," Noctis grinned at the simple thrill of heat on cold skin. He removed his glove, and then held both hands in front of the vent, groaning with pleasure as he stretched and fisted his tingling fingers.

Prompto flicked on the radio to block out the Prince's groans, which were inadvertently sending blood rushing to all the wrong places. "Let's get outta here, shall we your highness?"

Noctis snuggled his arms against himself, and nodded, flashing Prompto a wry grin as the blond put the car in gear and started to pull away. "Make it snappy."

* * *

Unlocking the door to his apartment, Prompto shuffled inside and turned on the lights. "Nobody home, as usual," the blond remarked with a deflated sigh.

"Hope you did some laundry," Noctis snickered, kicking off his boots and tossing them aside.

"You got a choice of that top with studs that you say makes me look like a little punk, or my chocobo sweater," Prompto replied, deadpan, and Noctis paused to try and consider whether he was joking, or actually being serious.

Seeing that Prompto's expression remained unchanged, Noctis realized his friend was serious. "Ok then, guess I'll take the sweater."

The two climbed the stairs to Prompto's bedroom, where the blond pulled the offending yellow garment from his almost-empty closet and handed it to the Prince. Noctis eyed the sweater apprehensively before accepting it.

Prompto was about to fetch them some towels, when Noctis laughed softly behind him. "...What would your folks think about you bringing boys home and giving them your clothes?"

The blond grinned, looking over his shoulder at Noct. "Good thing they're not around to know. Be right back," he added, heading to the linen closet.

Noct could have kicked himself, immediately beginning to worry about causing his friend angst by reminding him of his less-than-accessible parents. By the time Prompto returned with two towels, he had formulated a hasty apology.

"Sorry, I...didn't think."

"It's fine, dude. I'm used to it by now." Prompto forced a smile. "It has its upside anyway, right? No curfews, and no hassles," he added, towel-drying his wet hair.

Not really knowing what he could do to expand on his apology, and despite all his front, actually being pretty bad with words, Noctis shrugged and took the towel from Prompto's hands. It earned him a bemused look. The blond's goggle-eyed expression only became more comical as the Prince took over, mussing the towel over his head and rather haphazardly drying his hair for him.

"T-thanks." Prompto's lower lip quivered slightly as he peered out from underneath the towel and found himself staring into dark blue pools. Momentarily mesmerized, the blond stood there, frozen, breathing in the subtle but mouth-watering scent that belonged only to Noctis.

A minute later, Prompto had just about found his voice and his senses and was about to try and lighten what felt, to him, like a dizzyingly intense moment. But Noctis abruptly pulled the towel away, the blond's lank hair still damp but much drier. Seeing that Prompto seemed a little lost for words, the Prince shrugged.

"Not gonna return the favour? I'm a guest in your house, dude," he teased. "Gotta pamper me."

Steadying his shaky hands, Prompto tossed the other towel over Noctis' head and gently drew the terrycloth fabric through the Prince's dark locks. "You better get out of those wet clothes. Ignis will never forgive me if you catch a cold on my watch," Prompto warned with a smile as bright as the morning sun.

"Yeah, you're right," the Prince obliged, peeling off his damp shirt, revealing smooth, toned muscles. "But if giving me pneumonia is your idea of stopping me from going to prom, forget it. I'm gonna drag myself there if I have to. Well...I'll get Gladio to drag me, anyway," Noct added, smirking. He draped his towel across his shoulders before looking down and picking open his belt.

Averting his gaze, his hormones unable to handle any more nudity, Prompto turned around. He peeled off his own top and ran the towel across his chest briefly before grabbing a t-shirt from the cast-off clothing strewn about his bed. Pulling the shirt over his head as hastily as possible, to hide his freckled body from the Prince, he realized he had missed a few spots and the new fabric was sticking in places against his still-damp skin.

"Got any pants?" Noctis asked shamelessly as the blond turned back to see his friend standing in nothing but his underwear.

"Uh, no..." Prompto muttered, staring for a brief second before averting his eyes, turning away and fiddling with his own fly. "I mean, yes! Yeah, in there," he offered, fluttering one hand vaguely in the direction of the top of his small wardrobe.

The Prince shuffled over and started rooting through Prompto's dresser, in search of something he would actually wear. Bypassing the leopard-print pants, he suddenly paused.

"Really?" Noctis asked with an ear-to-ear grin, holding up a pair of chocobo boxer briefs.

Mortified, the blond howled, "Not that drawer, the one underneath!"

Tossing the bright yellow undies back from whence they came with a laugh, Noctis opened the second drawer and pulled out a pair of loose-fitting, grey gym pants. "Guess these will do."

"Goes well with that sweater," Prompto laughed tightly, briefly turning back to nod at the soft yellow top that he had lent Noctis, emblazoned with stylised black chocobo outlines.

Noctis stepped into the pants and tied the drawstring tight around his midriff. They were a little baggy, but not a bad fit. Hauling the sweater over his head, he held out both arms and sized himself up in the mirror that hung on the back of Prompto's bedroom door. "At least they're dry..."

The Prince caught sight of a slim slip of card taped to the corner of the mirror, and grinned genuinely. "I remember that. That seems like ages ago," he mused, tapping the series of four photos of himself and Prompto, print-outs of them pulling ridiculous faces in a photo booth near the arcade.

"Oh, yeah. That was a fun day," Prompto reminisced quietly, his voice carrying the slightest hint of sadness. "I don't know why I kept that. Guess I'm a bit of a pack-rat," he added, shrugging it off. Grabbing a baseball hat, his favourite black one with the brown suede trim, the blond shoved it down over the brunette's damp hair. "Gotta complete the look, man," he smiled at Noct in the reflection.

"I have never looked hotter," Noctis grinned. "Gonna have to get Iggy to go clothes shopping." He turned and wandered over to the bed, slumping onto it comfortably and quite casually just watching Prompto procrastinate at his zipper. He rested his chin in his palm, having nothing else to occupy him.

"Could you like, turn around or something?" Prompto asked, embarrassed to slip out of his pants while Noctis was so intently staring at him.

"Hm? Oh, right," the Prince muttered, shifting around slightly and deciding to rummage around on Prompto's bedside table instead, eager for something to entertain him.

While Noctis preoccupied himself with the latest copy of _The Quay_ , Galdin Quay Resort's magazine which featured a questionable number of bulging male models in light swimwear, Prompto slipped into his plaid, flannel pyjama pants.

"Ever been here?" Noctis asked, flipping through the pages, which practically dripped with sunshine. His eye was caught by an article on the fish that inhabited the seaside resort.

"Not yet. Maybe someday though," Prompto said as he knelt down on the floor beside his bed. "Thought you might like to go fishing there, so I was scoping it out. There are so many different species of fish you can catch right from the shoreline!" he added excitedly.

"How about we go after school's over? I'm sure I could wrangle us a couple of days away," Noctis shrugged, in as indifferent a tone as he could manage.

"Yes, let's do it!" the blond exclaimed with delight. The concept of having plans that included Noctis after graduation made him slightly giddy, so much so that he thoughtlessly jumped from the floor and pounced on Noctis, throwing his arms around the Prince.

"...Well...I guess I'll figure it out when I get back. I'll, uh, text Iggy to let him know I'm on the way. Thanks for the clothes," Noctis smiled.

The blond quickly jumped back, scratching the back of his head nervously as he mentally kicked himself for the momentary lack of restraint. "Sure dude, no problem," Prompto replied, throwing an apprehensive punch at his friend's shoulder.

Noctis extended a pale hand a roughed up Prompto's already messy, damp hair fondly, before pulling out his phone from his discarded trousers, praying that it was still functional after its brief swim earlier. To his relief, it seemed to work perfectly, and he quickly thumbed a quick message to Ignis.

"Say, before I go..." Noctis stated, eyes on his phone as he murmured distractedly.

Prompto waited with baited breath for the Prince to finish his sentence.

"...Got any snacks?"

The blond grinned. Although he was making an effort to eat well, he always kept a secret stash of junk food on hand in case of real emergencies. He figured a hungry Prince could certainly be considered so. After pushing a huge bag of potato chips at Noctis, it didn't take long for the Prince to start stuffing his face. Between handfuls, Noct grabbed his keys and bid his friend a good night.

"See ya," the Prince mumbled through a crumbly spray of broken chips as he disappeared through the doorway. After latching the lock, Prompto leaned his back against the door and smiled.

"Guess I'm going to prom after all..." The blonde looked for his phone and texted Ignis.

 _P: Hey Iggy, I need a favour._


	3. Chapter 3

The pleasantly-warm temperatures of the day had cooled to a delicious, brisk chill by the time Prompto finally eased himself under his thin bedsheets in his underwear, sighing at the incomparable comfort of a clean, cool bed. The sky outside his newly polished window was purple-grey, about as dark as the night ever got with Insomnia's light pollution obliterating the stars somewhere beyond.

After Noctis had left, he had taken the time to tidy up the place, changed his bed, did some hoovering, and topped it all off with a jog round the block and some vegetarian pasta. Unlike his best friend, he was quite happy to exert himself _without_ the actual threat of punishment to motivate him. Truth be told, he quite enjoyed housework (and knowing how many calories it could burn didn't hurt either).

Now leaning back against his two under-stuffed pillows, the blond thumbed distractedly through his phone, feeling inordinately pleased with himself, and happier than he had in a good while. His conversation with Ignis earlier couldn't have gone better, and right now, he was sure that nothing could top the slightly delirious bliss he currently felt.

On cue, Prompto's phone buzzed quietly in his hand, the tinny sound of the Regalia's engine notifying him of a princely text. He hadn't heard from Noctis since he had left, and a deep-seated worry he hadn't even been aware of fluttered away, knowing that his friend had indeed gotten home safely and was alright.

 _N: Hey dude this sweater is sooo comfy. Srsly. I want one. It makes me wanna_ (￣o￣) zzZZzzZZ

 _P: Like you need any more help with that_ … (ꐦ ´͈ ᗨ `͈ )

 _N: Guess you got a point there. Anyway, thanks for tonight. The park was nice._

 _P: Thought you'd like it._ (⌐■_■)

A few minutes later, once Prompto was certain there was no way the Prince was still conscious, he stretched over to the nightstand and placed his phone on its charger for the night. Realizing his giddiness wouldn't allow sleep to come for some time, he picked up his camera to flip through the photos from the evening.

The camera's screen wasn't quite as glaring as his phone's in the gloom of his lightless room, and he snuggled back in comfort as he began scrolling through that day's images, something he did religiously every night if he had taken any photographs in the previous 24-hour period.

He appraised his own photos from the morning and afternoon, including some rather arty, high-saturation shots he'd gotten of his colourful bag of candy, immediately before he had demolished the entire lot and spent the next few hours regretting it. He zoomed in on one or two to ensure that the image wasn't hiding any blurriness, with others, he fiddled with rotation and monochrome filters.

He was scrolling through in his typical objective and rather distant fashion, when a bizarre image that he didn't recognise flashed onto the mini screen. He peered at it, briefly entertaining the idea of ghosts in the machine, when it belatedly clicked as to what the black fabric on the screen actually was, and he nearly choked on a sudden gasp.

"…Shit," he whispered.

Prompto stared, wide-eyed and mouth gaping, at the princely crotch while heat crept across freckled cheeks. It took him a few seconds to realise that this must be the picture that had transpired when Noctis had accidentally set the camera off in his own lap. The result was…ridiculously perfect.

Realizing it couldn't be normal to spend such an inordinate amount of time transfixed on his best friend's nether-regions, the blond swallowed hard and hovered his thumb over the delete button. Yet somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to erase the image that was tempting his curious imagination with ideas of what was concealed beneath. Instead, his thumb instinctively zoomed in on the parts of interest, adjusting the brightness to illuminate the ever-so-faint outline of what was hidden below the dark material. The new vantage point sent his blood rushing south in a hurry.

Prompto's fingers marched experimentally beneath the bedsheets to give his straining erection a few slow pumps overtop his purple, leopard-print briefs. Remembering how the Prince was standing in his bedroom almost completely naked just a couple of hours earlier didn't help his situation any. He could practically still smell Noctis, likely from the abandoned heap of damp clothing in the corner. Eyeing the not-so-distant apparel, the blond reached over and plucked Noctis' shirt from the pile, and resumed his position back on the bed. Burying his nose into the material, he shamefully relished the Prince's scent to the point of near intoxication.

Another few pumps moistened his fingers through the thin purple fabric. "Fuck…" Prompto shuddered. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he slipped his fingers beneath his waistband and grasped his rock-hard length with a tight and blissful squeeze.

Swallowing an abrupt mouthful of saliva, Prompto licked his lips, teething gently at them as he began to rhythmically squeeze and drag, his fingertips skidding through slippery pre-come and pinching at the swollen veins on his blood-hot shaft. His other hand clenched at the soft fabric of Noctis' T-shirt, and the inspired fantasy that it was sweat that was soaking the dark material, not pond water, encouraged a sharp and urgent throb between his legs, and a silent, anticipatory ejection of clear liquid.

With closed eyes, he pumped his pulsating length slick with the wetness, enjoying the vulgar sound it produced, along with the radiating pleasure delivered by each quickening stroke. The room suddenly felt extremely hot, every inch of his flesh on fire from adolescent hormones. He slowed his hand, hanging dangerously close upon the edge of orgasm. "Mmm, Noct," he strangled a choked gasp into the shirt, his whole body tingling and shivering as he held onto the sensation.

Prompto distracted himself from his imminent, premature pleasure by twiddling his fingers shakily through the warm tendrils of pre-come that decorated them, and he listened to his own laboured breathing as he fought not to ponder what he was doing. It was times like these (and this was definitely not the first time) that paranoid fantasies about Noct's potential mind-reading abilities began to trouble him. Of course, Noctis couldn't _possibly_ know what he was up to right now. But the fear that he would read it in his eyes and guilty expression the next time they met was a prevalent one.

Turning his mind to something else besides paranoia, the blond glanced back at the image on his camera. He wondered what Noctis looked like down there, underneath it all. Did Noct touch himself like this? If so, what sorts of things did the brunette think about while he was getting himself off? How exactly did the Prince like to be touched, and… how did he sound when he came? The very idea brought a surge of pressure to Prompto's twitching erection, sending it involuntarily pulsing forward with desire for friction. Returning his grip to its former position, the blond resumed his ministrations, the sheets beneath him now damp with sweat and the pre-come trickling between his legs. He slowly stroked his swollen shaft while imagining Noctis at home in his bed doing the same. Quickly finding himself teetering upon the cusp of release, his fingers tightened hard around his cock and then re-started their work over again once the immediate sensation had passed. He did this a number of times, prolonging and intensifying the pleasure until his entire body was trembling and aching to climax.

" _Shit…ugh, Noct_ ," Prompto muttered wheezily, gnawing on his bottom lip, wetting it repeatedly as he grunted under his breath. His inhales hitching stickily in his throat, he tingled with fearful anticipation of his powerful climax, preparing himself for the dizzying release. Closing his cobalt blue eyes, his forehead creased slightly in concentration, he pushed the fingers of his left hand up under his testicles, pressing against his prostate from the outside. It was about as far as he had been brave enough to experiment on himself, and it was always guaranteed to push him over the edge.

With a seething, agonised groan, the blond's orgasm finally ruptured, flooding him with painful pleasure, making his head swim. Overwhelmed, he writhed and bucked on his bed, hands shakily working himself through his drawn-out climax, blinking sweat from his hazy vision. As he slowly recovered over the next few minutes, chest heaving with little flashes of ribs under his freckled skin, he knuckled distractedly at the seed that had spurted up over his own throat.

The blond couldn't help but feel a slight pang of guilt as he cleaned up his mess, using his best friend's shirt none-the-less. He discreetly hid the disgraced article, making a mental note to do laundry after school tomorrow. Crawling back under the sheets, he hesitated briefly before deleting the evidence of his misgivings from the camera. As he laid back, waiting for sleep to take him, his mind wandered. He had a lot he needed to do over the coming couple of days to prepare for prom. He was taking a Prince after all. And it was going to be perfect.

* * *

Prompto was sitting alone at his desk the next morning, kicking his legs idly and staring out of the window as tutorial neared its conclusion. His bright eyes watered and winced at the glaring sunshine outside, reflecting off the myriad glass of the science block just across from their homeroom. When his phone vibrated, half-heartedly hidden under his chocobo-stickered folder (the stickers had been a joke present from Noct, albeit one that he had actually loved), he scooped it up and read the message intently.

 _N: Not coming in today. Dad's got some stuff he needs me 2 attend. I'll get ur work to catch up tomorrow. 2 bad I needed to look for another date haha_ (❁°͈▵°͈)

 _P: No prob dude. Got ya covered._

With a sigh, the blond packed up his books and stuffed them into his pack as the bell rang. Figuring this would at least allow him to meet up with Iggy after school and pick out a suit, he hopped up from his desk and made his way to history class. They were in the middle of an in-depth analysis of the mythology of the six gods believed to be standing watch over Eos since antiquity. Just as Prompto neared his usual desk, he felt a sharp tug on his backpack. "Woah!" he yelped, stopping in his tracks and almost losing his balance.

"Hold up a sec, sunshine," a male voice commanded from behind.

Cautiously, he eyed the interloper, a guy in the class called Kai who was definitely one of those 'outta your league' types, albeit one who actually seemed pretty cool with his dyed reddish-black hair and that funky King's Knight satchel that Prompto had been eyeing up for a while. It would have looked ridiculously childish on him, but of course, Kai made it look effortlessly retro and awesome. Life wasn't fair, Prompto mused silently.

"I've been meaning to ask you something, and I see His Highness isn't around today," the slightly taller student grinned, his voice a little husky and strangely mesmerizing.

"Uh, yeah. He, um, had stuff to do today," stuttered the blond nervously under the stare of almost-black eyes and even darker eyeliner. Kai had never spoken to him before, and Prompto couldn't comprehend how such a guy would ever even notice his meagre existence, let alone have something to ask him.

"Are you two an item?" asked Kai, playfully picking up the drawstring of Prompto's hoodie. "'Cause if you're not taken, you're going to prom with me," he stated as he narrowed the distance between them and gave the delicate string a suggestive, predatory tug.

"…An…item? What makes you think that?" Prompto mumbled, face flaming. He was quietly stunned that he hadn't stuttered as he stared down at Kai's long, metal-ringed fingers which twiddled with his hoodie string.

The blond didn't even know why he had bothered asking, except to try and avoid answering the other teen. He knew that there were the occasional sniggering remarks and short-lived rumours in school about he and the Prince, mostly because they spent all their time together and neither of them really had any other friends, but he didn't think anyone actually, _seriously_ considered that they were a couple.

And another thing…how long had this guy been waiting for Noct to be absent so he could talk to him in the first place? Prompto goggled at the implication.

"So, is that a _no_ then?" Kai pressed, getting right down to business and stepping even closer into Prompto's personal space.

"Ah, it's- I mean… We aren't, uh," stammered the blond, scratching nervously at the back of his head and thanking each of the six gods of Eos individually when the bell suddenly rang to signal the start of class.

"Saved by the bell, huh blondie?" Kai flashed him a charming smile. "This isn't over," advised the taller male as he sauntered nonchalantly back to his desk. While everyone moved to take their seats, Prompto released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding and skittered to his usual spot. As the teacher began the lecture, the blond sank into his chair and flicked on his phone.

 _P: Dude, you'll never believe who just asked me out._ (✿ ｡ )

 _N: I have some ideas._

 _P: What?_

 _N: I think I could guess._

 _P: Haha, very funny dude_ (￢ ￢)

 _N: Prob Freya. Ever since she started carrying that camera around to try and get ur attention_ (•ˋ _ ˊ•)

 _P: Who?_ _「_ (°ヘ°)

 _N: Or that creepy guy with the lazy eye who always gets a seat behind you so he can check out ur ass._

 _P: You mean Tsukki?_

 _N: No, I'm talking about Shinji. And don't tell me u didn't notice…_

Very cautiously, Prompto looked over his shoulder and sure enough, there was Shinji peering back at him with a goofy, lopsided smile. And was that drool in the corner of Shinji's mouth? Prompto, horrified that Noct might actually be right, spun back around in his seat.

 _P: Ok, that's just creepy._

 _N: Now Tsukki is the dude I caught tryin to slip a love letter into ur locker a couple weeks back._

 _P: Ummm, say what now? What love letter?_

 _N: Exactly. I intercepted it, of course._

 _P:_ (´⊙ω⊙`)！!

 _N: Hey, what are friends for, right? You can thank me later… XD_

 _P: You are making this up right? No way that many ppl have the hots for me_

 _N: You'd b surprised_

 _P: …you're coming across like a weird stalker …how the hell do you know these things and I don't? and don't make any blond jokes you know I totally aced you in that algebra test_

 _N: Dude, come on. I have been fending these ppl off for the last 2 years…_ (－‸ლ)

 _P:_ (⊙_⊙)

 _N: What ya doin after school? Wanna meet up?_

 _P: Sorry bro. Got plans today._

Prompto was reluctant to reject the invitation, partly because he knew that royal affair-type stuff tended to stress his best friend out, and he would probably be game for some cheering up afterwards. And partly, because it had been barely any time at all and he was already missing the doofus.

But he reasoned that in the long run, he was sure that Noctis would be more than happy. Today was already working out nicely, giving him ample time to meet a reluctantly-conspiring Ignis and set what he was calling 'Phase 1' of his plan into action. Today had already thrown an unexpected spanner in the works, what with the surprise date request from Kai (…he would have to figure out how he was going to turn him down, because he seemed pretty persistent…), and he was sure that if he pondered Noctis' odd text messages and their insinuations, he would probably go a little crazy. His phone vibrated once more.

 _N:_ ｡ﾟ･ (﹏) ･ﾟ｡ _K have a good one xx_

 _N: I meant xD!_

…Yep.

He would definitely go a little crazy.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day seemed to slog by at an agonizing, sluggish pace. There were no more texts from the Prince, who was now undoubtedly tied up in royal matters beyond the blond's comprehension. Although he knew he most likely wouldn't hear from Noct until after school, the frequent sight of his empty notification screen left a hollow in Prompto's chest.

Between classes, Prompto made busy work of making himself scarce, in the hopes of dodging Kai who now seemed to be in full pursuit. He owed him an answer, but it just seemed easier to avoid the whole awkward conversation, at least for now. After dashing out of history class to evade the male, Kai had reappeared, approaching Prompto at his locker after third period. The blond, spotting the teen who stood slightly taller than most other students, had just narrowly succeeded in giving Kai the slip in the overcrowded hallway.

Feeling unnaturally shattered when his last class started, Prompto pushed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets and groaned, wishing the cola and chocolate bar he had consumed at lunch had done something other than raise his heart rate and make him feel guilty about the sugar content. He could really do with some proper caffeine right now.

If Noctis had been here, as per usual, they would have skulked off together at lunch to the dead cherry trees ('Zombie Sakura,' as they liked to call them…a term they felt would make an excellent manga title) at the far end of the school grounds, where all the dodgy kids hung around, more interested in their own shenanigans than the conduct of the Prince and his best friend. At least once a week, there was some sort of pubescent cigarette or alcohol deal going on by the wild-worn stone walls that bordered the bland streets of Insomnia.

Today, Prompto had pottered around near the canteen, and then sequestered a mildewed bench near the Language block. He hadn't been able to quite reconcile himself with the degree of despondency that he felt.

When, miraculously, his dormant phone had buzzed in his pocket, he plucked it out, hoping to justify his thrill with the sight of a text from Noctis. It was, however, something else.

 **Unknown Number** _– Hey, Prompto. You really are hard to get. It's Kai. If you would rather answer me in a text that's cool. I just really want to get in there before any of your other admirers_ (^_−) _So, it's a yes?_

Unable to grasp what all this fuss over admirers was about, the blond had stuffed his phone back into his jeans. Kai would have to wait a little longer for a reply, once he had time to collect his thoughts. How did Kai even get his number?

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with no further Kai encounters, except for half a dozen more texts, each getting more demanding and revealing more of Kai's perseverance and determination to get a prom date.

* * *

Prompto's unsettled mood at the constant and frankly alien attention, was rapidly dissipating by the time the final bell rang, and he thrilled quietly at the thought of meeting Ignis at the gates, his reluctant partner in crime. He got the feeling that Iggy was secretly a little bit excited at doing something 'naughty' for a change. Gods knew the guy had the saintliest stick up his ass at the best of times (well, according to Noct).

He was leaning against a slightly unhinged bit of wire fencing near the front gates, shielding his eyes and pale skin from the lowering sun and its searing heat. He made a mental note to start wearing his sunscreen again, just in case any more of these frickin' freckles decided to take up residence on his face.

Whilst he anticipated the thrum of Iggy's familiar car with subdued excitement, he thumbed through some of the messages he had received whilst subtly glancing over his shoulder every now and then in case the man in question had appeared anywhere in the vicinity. It really did feel like someone was playing an elaborate prank on him.

- _Hey Prom, I can see that you read this. Feeling shy? All it takes is one word…say yes_ (v^ー°)

 _-I'm not a Prince but I'm pretty deep. My name means 'ocean' after all_ ꉂ (´∀｀)ʱªʱªʱª

 _-You haven't said no…but there's a limit to my patience when a pretty face is involved_ ( ಸ‿ಸ)

Jeez, this guy just didn't quit. Prompto stared blankly at the screen, unsuccessful at conjuring up ideas of how he could turn down his supposed admirer while avoiding the next logical question that would follow - if he wasn't going to prom with Kai, then who was he going with? Before he had an opportunity to tap out any sort of reply, Ignis' dark blue sedan rolled up in front of him, bright sun reflecting off the chrome trim in a blinding display of Crownsguard swagger.

A sudden surge of excitement washed over the blond, and he did the quickest thing he could, typing out two letters and mashing send before shoving his phone away and marching up to the open passenger window. "Hey Ignis! Thanks for doing this, buddy!" the blond piped, leaning inside to flash the man a beaming smile of appreciation.

"Let's make this snappy, shall we? I must return to the palace in an hour. His Highness may become suspicious if I am not present upon the dismissal of the royal council."

"Sure thing, Iggy! If Noct suspects anything, we're _both_ screwed." Prompto wasted no time in pulling open the heavy door and settling himself in, turning up the AC without asking permission and sighing happily at the cool, almost-damp chill that blasted into his face.

Shaking his head and carefully hiding a small smile, Ignis pulled away from the sidewalk smoothly, his leather gloves creaking satisfyingly on the steering wheel before he spoke in his pleasing, aristocratic tone.

"Have you had any thoughts regarding what you're actually looking for this afternoon? If I may say, I know a little of sartorial matters and am happy to offer any assistance."

"I have a few ideas, but I'll look to you for help on this one. This plebe is gonna be in over his head if there's more than one white suit to pick from," Prompto added with a shaky smile.

"I guarantee there will be plenty to choose from. But let me assure you that you are in very capable hands," Ignis guaranteed, adjusting his glasses and glancing confidently at his passenger. "I have been assisting Noctis and the King with their royal attire for many years."

While the whirr of the engine carried them into Insomnia's bustling, upscale shopping district, Prompto recollected upon the many outfits he had seen his best friend wear to formal family events, parties, coronations, and the like. With Ignis' help, this was definitely going to be a piece of cake.

* * *

About two hours later and down more than half of his entire life's savings, Prompto arrived home laden down with boxes and designer bags containing what was sure to deliver everything needed to make prom the magical night that Noctis deserved.

He managed to resist taking any pictures of his newly-acquired garments, and certainly not whilst he was actually wearing them; he had this odd feeling that he would jinx things somehow by prematurely trying to capture the honest-to-gods magic he felt about the whole undertaking.

Sending Ignis one final, gushing text offering his gratitude, (with more happy emojis than he had ever sent to the advisor before) Prompto picked up the single small bag among his spoils that had _not_ been obtained from a designer shop…a diversion that he had insisted upon once the idea had occurred to him. With a fiendish grin on his elfin features, he took out the two bright accessories and eyed them speculatively, before posing them on a black leather folder on his desk that he often used for a macro backdrop.

He decided that maybe _one_ little photo wouldn't hurt.

* * *

It was unusual for Ignis to be late. At first, Noctis entertained himself with a game of King's Knight while awaiting his advisor. However, as the entertainment value quickly petered itself out, Noctis wandered into the palace garden, opting to squeeze in a brief nap under his favourite maple tree. Only moments after getting comfortable in the soft, freshly cut grass and closing his eyes, the Prince felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Flipping it out, he noticed the text wasn't from any of his usual contacts.

 **Unknown Number** _: Hope you treat him good, you lucky prick. And if you don't, I'll be waiting..._

Well then.

After blinking sleepily at his screen for a few moments, Noct thumbed back a swift reply. He wasn't exactly a belligerent person, but he was _not_ going to stand for anonymous threatening texts. And, deducing that it was from one of Prompto's weird stalkers, he flattered himself that he could beat any of them if it ever came to a physical scrap over his best friend. As medieval as that sounded, he figured that it also sounded fairly reasonable for a member of the royal family. There was a _reason_ he had been extensively educated in the chivalrous deeds of his family's history and hand-to-hand combat, after all.

 _N: Dunno who the hell this is but if you start trouble with either of us you're going down_

 _Unknown: Just sayin, dude. You'd better hold on tight to little sunshine. There are plenty of us hoping for a chance to get a suntan. (_ _ಠ_ ___ _ಠ_ _)_

Noctis suddenly found his blood running a slow boil as he read the words. Who was this, and how the hell did they get his private cell number? The normally apathetic Prince sprung up from his makeshift bed in the grass, no longer feeling like napping. He irritably stuffed his phone into his jeans and gripped his keys to the Regalia in a white-knuckled death grip. Abandoning all former plans of meeting up with Ignis, the Prince shuffled out of the garden. He needed to go for a ride.

* * *

By the time Noctis had fumed his way to the extensive underground garage and unlocked the Regalia with a bright blue pulse of its lights in the gloom, he was beginning to curse Ignis for not being present. If anyone could somehow trace the anonymous texter, it'd probably be him. And Iggy's protective and dutiful instincts would definitely kick into gear if he thought somebody was capable of hacking into the royal's private communications.

That, however, was _not_ the top of his worries right now. Despite his years of silently defending Prompto from his harem of admirers who were (probably) no good for him, one had slipped through the net, at the least fortuitous time. Noctis had three weeks, give or take, to pluck up the courage to damn well _do_ something about his feelings for his best friend.

Gladio had once told him that it was better to regret something that you _had_ done, rather than regret something you _hadn't_ done. Regardless of the shitstorm that might follow if Prompto didn't return his feelings, Noctis felt that he should at least try. If he didn't try, he'd never know, right?

Some things, of course, were easier said than done.

Screeching tires echoed off the walls of the parking garage as the Prince floored the accelerator and skidded out of his usual parking space. The therapeutic hum of the engine did nothing to smooth his ruffled feathers as he angrily wove his way through the busy streets of Insomnia. He turned up the radio in the hopes of distracting himself after having gone through a mental list of potential contenders and quickly realizing the offending texts could have come from any number of people. It was foolish for him to think Prompto would always be by his side. It wasn't that he had taken the blond's friendship for granted all these years, quite the opposite. He had placed it above all else and didn't want his selfishness to jeopardize what they had. Unfortunately, someone else was now moving in on his territory, and there was nothing like a new rival to light a fire under his lazy ass.

Before he had even realized it, Noct found himself sitting in the Regalia outside of Prompto's apartment. He twisted his grip around the steering wheel as the cooling engine ticked in the early evening air.

A cold tremor of dread ran through him – the bass purr of the Regalia was unmistakable – particularly in a calm neighbourhood like Prompto's, where the people who didn't simply bicycle or scooter everywhere zoomed about in quiet, cute little hatchbacks. If Prompto was home (as he should be at this time), Noctis probably had about five seconds to start the car and speed away before his best friend's face appeared, peeking inquisitively through a window.

By the time Noctis had decided that he'd better try and make up an excuse as to why he was there, instead of retreating with the help of his impressive nought-to-sixty acceleration, Prompto was opening his door hurriedly and slamming it behind him.

The blond gave him an awkward wave, glancing down at himself almost as an afterthought, looking relieved that he actually was wearing semi-suitable clothes to be outside of his apartment. He approached the car barefoot, looking behind him to double-check the front door was actually closed.

Noct stared straight ahead, mind buzzing with half-formed excuses, as Prompto leaned to pop his head cheerfully through the open window.

"Hey, dude! Didn't you have a meeting? Whatcha doing here?"

The brief ideas Noctis had for explanations as to his presence disappeared like so much smoke in the breeze as he caught the faint scent of Prompto's warm skin and un-gelled hair.

"Uh…you know. Just…nothing."

"Yeah, right!" Prompto laughed fondly.

"What are _you_ up to? Hiding your new date in there?" Noctis said defensively, nodding at the apartment. His words were blunt and bitter even as his brain was trying to warn him, belatedly, not to speak, and _especially_ not to speak about Prompto's 'popularity.' His face flushed and his eyes closed briefly at the realisation of what a complete idiot he sounded.

"Uh, ha ha. Very funny!" exclaimed the blond nervously as his mind quickly drifted back to the evidence lying strewn about his apartment, and the colourful display showcased on his desk from the impromptu photo shoot he was forced to hastily abandon the moment he heard the Regalia roll up.

Understanding that it was far too late to wish he had planned this better, Noctis apprehensively released his seatbelt and fumbled his way out of the car. He strode around to the sidewalk, heading for the blond's apartment, when suddenly Prompto jumped out in front of him.

"Hey there, buddy! Umm, where you going?" asked Prompto, his high-pitched voice laced with panic.

"I wanna see which one it is," Noct said flatly, placing one hand on Prompto's T-shirt-clad bicep and pushing him gently but firmly aside. His eyes widened in surprise when his best friend grabbed him in return, halting him physically and replacing himself between the Prince and his front door.

"Which one? Dude, what're you talking about? I'm doing something…private. A…uh…project for my portfolio. If you disturb it it'll ruin weeks of work."

Noctis would have believed him, if it weren't for the hopeful and relieved quirk of Prompto's eyebrows and the lack of a camera around his neck. He had always told Noct that he liked to be _wearing_ the camera when he used it for professional stuff or important work. Made him feel more in tune with the process, or some crap.

"So why are you acting so nervy?" Noctis asked, crossing his arms. "What are you taking pictures of, a freaking nest of spiders?" Prompto's distaste (bordering on phobia) of all insects and creepy-crawlies was well documented.

"No, I…it's a secret," Prompto shrugged and blushed, not elaborating.

"I don't like secrets," the Prince muttered, realizing how much of a hypocrite he was after the words had left his lips. If he hadn't been so apprehensive about confessing his true feelings to Prompto all this time, maybe he could have avoided whatever the hell was happening here.

Determined to get to the bottom of the situation, the Prince pushed past Prompto and headed inside. But after taking just a couple steps toward the dimly lit entrance, there was a sharp yank on his wrist that jolted him backward toward his best friend. Prompto didn't loosen his firm grip around the Prince's wrist. The hurt look on his face pleading that Noct go no further triggered a surge of emotion to well up inside the Prince's chest, making him want more than ever before to fight for what was his.

"So why can't I go in? The truth, this time." Noctis muttered, biting his lip at the heart-rending sight of his best friend's face. "Seriously, if there's someone in there with you..." he threatened, his usually husky voice even more gravelly than usual, all grit and smoke and anger.

"Noctis! Get it outta your head, okay!" Prompto suddenly exclaimed, rolling his eyes dramatically and throwing his hands up. The Prince knew he had touched a nerve and caused the blond to apparently flip when he heard his own full name from those thin, pretty lips, a real rarity unless he was in serious trouble.

"And the hell do you care anyway? Not like I got any other offers," Prompto continued, red-faced and voice quavering with frustration and, it seemed, shock that he was even venting his feelings this way, unplanned and bold and blunt. "In case you never stopped to think about it, maybe I _wanted_ to go on all those dates you 'saved' me from. Did that ever occur to you, huh?"

"No." Noctis replied flatly, staring at his suddenly bemused friend.

"'No?' What does _that_ mean?" Prompto asked, looking quite adrift and trembling a little from his outburst.

"I was...they wouldn't have... _dammit_ , don't you get it at all?" Noctis seethed, scrubbing a hand through the hair that fell in his eyes and raking it back in agitation. As he tried to glare an answer out of his dumbstruck friend, Noctis shook his head with finality and grabbed Prompto's face roughly in both hands, cupping his slim jaw without finesse and punishing him with a hasty, hard kiss.

Prompto stood motionless beneath Noctis' hold, mind and body both incapacitated as the Prince's lips smashed onto his in a jarring and unexpected public display of emotion. This wasn't anything like Prompto had envisioned for his first kiss with the Prince, not that he had dared to let himself dream of such things very often. No, this was not soft and gentle in any way. It was brash and possessive, as if filled with raw frustration.

As the Prince pulled away, breaking the contact, Prompto gazed dumbfounded into the intense blue orbs staring back at him. The stunned blond wasn't sure what to say as he struggled to process what had just happened, his fingers absently tracing his own lips, wondering if Noctis' had indeed been there just seconds before. It wasn't the reaction Noctis had expected, and the Prince instantly realized how badly he may have just fumbled up the only good thing he had in his life.

"I- I'm sorry. Didn't mean to..." Noctis stammered quietly, voice drifting off as he backed away nervously from his best friend. Hastily shuffling past the blond, Noctis made a sudden and awkward retreat towards the Regalia.

"Wait! Noct!" called Prompto after his friend who was now boarding the car in an awful hurry.

Before Prompto could get down the walk to the vehicle, the engine roared to life and Noctis stepped on the accelerator, pulling out into the road with a loud, jolting screech.

As he looked upon the taillights of the Regalia as they disappeared down the street, Prompto was left feeling dazed and confused.

What the _heck_ had just happened?


	5. Chapter 5

Prompto didn't really remember going back inside his front door, but he did find himself sitting on a stool in his little kitchen, his forearms resting on the cool faux-marble counter some indiscriminate time later. When he glanced out of the fingerprinted glass of his kitchen window, he only saw the dizzy, bright reflections of the fluorescent light, where earlier that evening he had been able to ascertain the moody purple-greys of the sky beyond.

It wasn't even as though he was going over the previous events and overthinking them – he recalled only the impenetrable look in Noct's eyes, and the warm, rough pressure of his mouth. Anything more than that dissolved into vague sensations of pleasure and shock.

It was only when his stomach gurgled loudly that he was shaken from his hazy reverie, and he cleared his throat, fumbling for his phone and beginning to type mechanically. After he had sent his brief message, he stared at the bright little screen, reading his own words and distantly wondering what on earth would happen next.

 _P: When u said you didn't mean to do that...was that true? I kinda don't know what to think dude_

Seconds turned to minutes without any response. The blond finally decided to slide himself from the stool upon which he had seemingly taken root and brought his phone charger to the kitchen, plugging in the device so that he'd have plenty of juice to receive the Prince's reply. He also maxed his ringer volume, just in case.

As he set about fixing dinner to appease his growling tummy, he couldn't help but wonder, had their friendship just been taken to the next level? Until he heard back from Noctis, he couldn't know for certain. And he was trying his best not to get his hopes built up on a possibility that made his stomach swim like he had just swallowed a mouthful of very excited butterflies.

* * *

Noctis blew past the palace Crownsguard stationed as night security in the lobby of his building, replying to none of their greetings as he hastily retreated to his darkened flat and slammed the door shut behind him.

That's when he heard it. The inevitable chocobo-themed alert, signalling the dreaded text from Prompto that was no doubt going to call him out for being a first-class douchebag.

It was about now that Noctis kind of wished that Gladio was around to cadge a sneaky cigarette off of. He didn't smoke, and supposedly, neither did Gladio, but if his pre-teen, post-workout sessions with his Shield had taught him anything, it was that a bit of nicotine was apparently a marvel for clearing the mind of anything but ignited oxytocin.

The Prince stalked straight through his apartment and crashed onto his king-sized bed, groaning extensively as he wriggled onto the freshly laundered duvet. He was so accustomed to crisp, perfect, clinical bedding that it was an indulgence to turn his mind to the idea of days' worth of honest sweat, and respiration, and toil. He had never shared a bed with anyone, and he was only a little bit embarrassed that some of his most enduring fantasies regarding his best friend involved playing King's Knight under the covers, snogging him into a doze and then clinging to him through the night like a limpet. Prompto was tactile at the best of times, and it pleased Noctis to imagine the comforting weight, scent and breath of a deeply-sleeping Prompto in his arms, bundled up against him in the dark.

Taking a deep breath, the Prince sighed it out and let his hands wander down to his fly, unzipping it and cupping himself lightly, more for the comfort of it than anything else. Although since he had probably irrevocably screwed up what he had with Prompto, he might as well distract himself with a dose of carnal mindlessness. Shuffling further down on his bed, closing his eyes tiredly and beginning a lazy rhythm between his legs, he did his best to bring to mind Prompto's grin, his flawless skin, his laugh and his sweet-smooth scent.

He let his thoughts drift back to the moment he had stolen what was undeniably Prompto's first kiss. Although it lasted but a brief moment, the Prince could easily recall the softness of his best friend's lips. He rested his left forearm behind his head so his eyes could trail down to his right hand, which was stroking slowly at his hardened shaft, squeezing around the tip each time before running back to the base. His hand picked up its pace as he dared to imagine the feel of Prompto's lips in place of his fingers. The forbidden thought quickly brought with it a flood of heat that rushed across his cheeks. His toes twisted into the duvet beneath and his hips moved with a slow, deliberate grind in time against his hand. Biting his lower lip, his eyes rolled back beneath their lids as he whispered the blond's name in a strained sigh.

He let go of himself for a few seconds in order to shift his black T-shirt up his chest, shimmying until his dark nipples were free to the cool air, already peaking excitedly. With slightly more urgency, he pushed down his jeans and his underwear just enough to expose himself completely, and he toyed with his engorged shaft, bouncing it against his abdomen and groaning with satisfaction.

Spitting gracelessly a few times into his palm, he resumed his tight grip upon his cock, focussing a few slightly-too-hard squeezes at the tip, imagining that Prompto's wet mouth would be inexperienced, a bit too eager, not quite in the right places but doing all the right things nevertheless. He probably wouldn't be able to take much of him in, though he'd undoubtedly try. Imitating his best friend's enthusiastic, aborted attempt at deep-throating, he slid his sticky palm down to his base, letting go just as he pushed up into his own hand reactively.

The consequence of Noctis' laconic and slightly introverted nature was that he observed much and had a vivid imagination. He put it to good use now, digging his short thumbnail gently in the crown of his cock, a representation of Prompto's virginal, clumsy mouth accidentally biting at him. He brought down his left hand briefly to tickle his fingers across his pale pelvis, emulating coarse blond hair bobbing up and down upon his heated skin.

Swallowing a rush of saliva, Noctis rested back once more upon his arm, grabbing the soft black spikes at the back of his head and pulling them roughly.

"Gods, this is _not_ gonna last long," he whispered aloud to his cool, gloomy room and his absent lover.

Giving his fistful of raven locks one final, sharp tug, the Prince's hand travelled down to his chest, plucking and pinching the erect nipple it found along its way. Wandering further down over his stomach, his hand returned to the other that was busy clutching and squeezing tightly around his rock-hard shaft. The dripping pre-come spilling from his slit kept his grip slippery as both hands pumped sloppy, obscene noises of wet skin on skin.

" _Nnnn_ ," the Prince strained a tight moan, muscles tensing and hips involuntarily grinding up into the cavity between his fingers. The threatening tingle of orgasm crept over him quickly as he held his breath and allowed each wet stroke to conjure an escalating and almost unbearable pleasure. He knew this was much too fast, but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to.

A wave of sudden desperation flooded over him, sending him tumbling over the edge of release without restraint, white ribbons of molten liquid spilling across his lower abdomen and down over his knuckles. Panting through his orgasm, Noctis imagined the surprised look on Prompto's face as he filled up his best friend's throat. It would be a surprised look, not unlike the one from earlier this evening when their lips had met.

Prompto would gag a little, probably cough, and swallow it all down obediently, his face red and his bright blue eyes watering. The image was indecently arousing, and Noctis shivered as he endured his deep, pulsing aftershocks, massaging himself with trembling fingers. Maybe Prompto would be so turned on from servicing him that he couldn't help coming over himself, untouched. Noctis snickered to himself, the idea unlikely but wonderfully distracting. Gasping and sighing out his exhausting wracks of pleasure, he finally relaxed, boneless, onto his sweat-warm bed, closing his eyes.

He half-dozed, mellow and calm, until his phone vibrated in the pocket of his rumpled, open jeans, the tinny ' _kweh'_ alerting him to another text from Prompto. Frowning, he tried not to think about all the various forms of rejection that the message might take.

Noctis was pretty sure he could say goodbye to the world he used to know. His best friend would probably never speak to him again, or even be able to stand the sight of him after what he had done. There would be no more late night games of King's Knight. Nobody to help him unwind and relax after long council meetings. No ice creams in the park. And certainly no post-graduation fishing trip to Galdin Quay. Yep, he was pretty sure his momentary lapse of judgement had made a royal muck of everything. In just a few seconds, the fabric of friendship that had taken years to weave had completely aloud, the Prince sluggishly dragged himself from the bed and shuffled listlessly to the bathroom to clean up and get changed into his bed clothes. He thought about the three course meal Ignis had prepared and stored in his refrigerator this morning. The advisor would be angry with him tomorrow when he discovered it still there. But the idea of food right now made the Prince queasy. All he wanted to do was sleep. In sleep, at least he could forget the insurmountable wreck he had just made of his life.

Noctis caught sight of Prompto's borrowed yellow sweater, nestling on the gloomy floor at the end of his bed. Groaning, he plucked it up with reluctant, eager fingers, and tucked it under his chin, inhaling deeply as he crashed onto his still-warm mattress and quietly steeled himself to glance at his phone. As much as he wanted to avoid having to acknowledge his best friend's communication, he was aware that unless he wanted to explain to Ignis why he wanted a new phone, there was a real limit to the amount of distance he could afford to put between him and his cell. With a faint grunt, he rolled onto his side, nuzzling the sweater miserably, and pulled out his phone, wincing at the bright screen and trying to control the frantic panic that sped his heart and ached his brain.

 _P: When u said you didn't mean to do that...was that true? I kinda don't know what to think dude_

 _P:_ _Please talk to me Noct_ (◞‸◟；)

Each letter of Prompto's texts seemed to draw the knot in Noctis' throat tighter. Thinking about what to reply made the Prince feel nauseous. What should he say? There were so many things he wanted to convey. And so many things he could say that would end up coming out completely wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he was positive that whatever message he tapped out would dig him into yet an even deeper hole with his best friend. He laid there, staring at the offensive blinking cursor of his blank response as the room started spinning. The pressure slowly building across his chest plagued him with a shortness of breath while the unfamiliar sting of tears bit at the corners of his eyes. An overwhelmingly intense need to escape befell him, and he hastily flicked off his text notifications and connected his headphones, blasting whatever song showed up on his playlist first. Quickly wiping his face and closing his eyes, he submitted to the darkness of the room.

Maybe tomorrow he could figure out what to do...

* * *

Prompto hardly tasted the sweet popcorn he was pushing into his mouth, curled up on his shabby but comfortable sofa, and staring at the flickering TV in the dark. It was an hour since he had sent his last text, and was feeling just about maudlin enough to attempt to send one more, final one. He felt that he had been pretty non-confrontational in his earlier messages, and since he had heard nothing back, though the messages had been seen, he thought he may as well put forth some of his own thoughts on the couldn't be worse than being stonewalled (potentially permanently) by his best friend. After all, if Noctis made it known that he wanted no further contact with him, verbally, physically, or otherwise, he had more than enough staff and security to make it so. Munching on his papery snack without enjoyment, Prompto thumbed a long message, his throat tight and his eyes a little watery. He was sure he'd seen scenes like this before in bad rom-coms, but the person sniffling and pining alone in the dark was usually female. He would have attempted a rare phone call if he could have been sure his voice and nerve wouldn't break and fail him.

 _P: I don't know if ur mad or sulking or embarrassed but u don't have to be! Please don't ignore me. I'm not mad at u either. I mean, u surprised me! But it was a good surprise. Lets talk? Or something?_

Deciding that that was about as succinct as he could manage to be in his current state, Prompto sighed and sent the text.

Staring for the next several minutes at the delivered yet unread status of his message, the blond began to give up on any hope of getting a reply from the Prince tonight. By now, it was almost half past ten and Noctis had already probably passed out.

After Prompto reluctantly pulled himself up from the sofa and turned off the TV, he sat quietly for a moment in the darkness, listening to the cracking of the TV's moulded plastic as it cooled. He contemplated what must be going through Noctis' head. He really hoped that he wasn't going to make a complete idiot of himself by showing up to take the Prince to prom when the big night finally arrived. He was definitely putting himself out there with his whole master plan to give his best friend a prom night that was deserving of a Prince. And prom night was certainly coming up fast… He had already emotionally invested everything into this, and it was too late to turn back now, wasn't it?

* * *

As the jarring blast of the Prince's alarm clock gradually roused him from sleep, he peeked wearily out from underneath his blankets at the blinding sunlight bursting around the edges of his black-out curtains. This was by far his least favourite part of the day. It seemed way too fast for it to be morning already.

Noctis' head began to hurt as he slowly recalled pieces of the events from the night before, dazedly trying to remember if they had been part of an unwelcome dream. As reality set in, he realized that he had indeed crossed a line and kissed his best friend last night. With a deep sigh of regret, the Prince stretched a reluctant hand from the warmth of his duvet to shut off the alarm. Feeling around blindly within the tangle of sheets for his phone, he located the device and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Scratching the sleep from his eyes, he tried turning on the screen with the intent of finally replying to Prompto with an apology for his behaviour. However, when he hit the unlock button, the screen refused to illuminate.

"Damn it," he grumbled, realizing the battery must have drained sometime during the night. Tossing the useless device angrily back onto the bed, the Prince stumbled sleepily to the shower.

* * *

Twenty minutes later he had vacated his roomy en-suite in his towel, after almost falling asleep again at one point when he rested his forehead against the black tiles of the shower. Emerging from dense steam into his comparatively cool bedroom, he was only slightly surprised to notice the curtains were open and eye-watering early morning sunlight flooded the room, highlighting little floating dust motes in the air and making him wince.

Ignis was present, straightening his aptly king-sized bed, looking industrious and unflustered as he turned briefly to the Prince and nodded.

"Good morning Noctis. I have a – hmm...I don't recall seeing this amongst your apparel before," the advisor iterated questioningly. He raised an eyebrow and lifted the yellow Chocobo-print sweater from its crumpled heap by his pillow, offering it into Noct's grumpy line of sight.

"Um, yeah. Borrowed it from Prompto," muttered the Prince, grabbing the garment and hastily stuffing it into his backpack in an attempt to avoid further inquiry. "I'll give it back to him at school."

"Yes, well, as I was about to say," the advisor stated matter-of-factly, "that may have to wait until another day. I have a request from your father to bring you to the citadel at once for a council meeting of utmost importance."

"Great," mumbled Noctis under his breath.

"I have already informed your school that you will be out for a few days. I'll let you carry on here and meet you outside shortly. Please be swift, we must leave immediately," Ignis added sternly.

Tutting extravagantly, Noctis glared at Ignis until the older man threw up his hands in resignation and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Noctis dropped his towel and languidly rummaged for clothes, scratching faintly at the damp, long hair at the nape of his neck. With any luck, by the time he was back at school, Prompto would have given up the ghost of their friendship, moved on, and be suitably ignoring him, negating the need for any kind of confrontation or heart-to-heart. It was a gut-wrenching thought, but Noctis honestly wasn't sure how he'd react the next time he had to face him.

* * *

As the morning bell rang and a very red-eyed, sleep-deprived Prompto skirted to his seat for first period, he glanced at the empty desk beside him that was normally occupied by the Prince. The blond had spent the majority of the night running through all the possible scenarios of what might happen when he and Noct finally got to talking this morning. Playing out hundreds of versions of the possible conversation in his head, he thought he had prepared for virtually everything.

"Go figure," sighed the blond, shaking his head when he realized he had failed to think the Prince would go so far as skipping school just to avoid talking to him.

"You say something, sunshine?" Kai turned around from his desk and asked Prompto with a smirk.

"Uhh, no. Nothing!" squeaked the startled blond, silently kicking himself for drawing unwanted attention. To avoid Kai's intense gaze, he tried his best to blankly stare out the window into the schoolyard. Where the hell was Noctis?

"Well, if you come to your senses, I'm still free for prom," the larger male said with a sly grin before turning back around in his seat as the teacher began the lesson.

Prompto didn't know whether to hope that Noctis was just late, and that he would come skulking in within the next ten minutes with a muttered apology, or whether to absolutely dread the same scenario. Knowing that the Prince could potentially turn up at any time made his stomach churn and twist in anxious knots. Even if Noctis really was absent, if he wasn't careful, the eagle-eyed Kai would soon claim the empty desk for himself. After _that_ , he would never be able to shake him off.

Considering this, Prompto extended one hand and tapped very awkwardly on the back of the boy in front, shrinking back a little when Kai turned back to him and stuck his tongue out playfully. Prompto was stunned to see a flash of a metal stud in his tongue, and he was abruptly silenced, his next words temporarily forgotten.

The tongue proceeded to vulgarly lick its way around Kai's perfect lips as the boy's grin turned almost impish.

"Cut it out, dude!" the blond whispered angrily, finally finding his voice and looking around to ensure none of his classmates were seeing this unbelievable spectacle. Thankfully nobody was watching. "I told you before, I've already got a date for prom. And even if I didn't, I wouldn't go with you!" As soon as the words had escaped his mouth, Prompto realized they were a bit harsher than he intended. But hey, this guy was really starting to piss him off.

Kai's grin fell flat and his scrutinizing expression quickly morphed into one of annoyance. "What's your problem? Can't take a joke, blondie?"

"As much as you can't take a hint," Prompto muttered, scowling at his desk and feeling his face flaring into heat. He sensed Kai's hard stare on him, before the teacher called upon him loudly to pay attention, and the scarlet-haired boy turned back, the menace radiating off of him. Gods, now Prompto was _definitely_ wishing Noct was here.

The rest of the school day was almost unbearable, and Prompto wasn't able to concentrate on anything other than Noctis and a whirlwind of thoughts as he hoped for the best, but then panicked and mentally began preparing himself for the worst.

And so went the following several days as time blurred for the lonely blond without Noctis showing up for school, or responding to any of his increasingly concerned texts. This had been the longest time he had ever gone without hearing from his best friend since the two started hanging out.

And it was breaking his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Three days.

Three _damn_ days left until prom night.

Every passing second felt like some kind of morbid metronome to Prompto. He had been expecting these twinges of anxiety, that were at times almost enough to make him double over. His appetite was gone, he doubted that his tailor-made suit still fitted his nervous frame, and he was in a nearly-constant state of shivery anticipation. However, he had imagined that it would be a far more positive excitement, in expectation of the culminating party of the year.

As it was, he was sick with worry. Over two weeks had passed and he had not heard a single word from Noctis, despite all his efforts at contact. He had been reluctant to go through the Prince's advisor, but now, all other avenues appeared to be closed to him.

Prompto was currently huddled on an age-worn bench in his favourite inner-city park, grasping at the tiny comfort that it could offer him. His adoptive parents weren't talking to each other, and the atmosphere at home was both suffocating and draining. The pulsing spring sun made his skin tingle with heat, and he winced against the lancing evening rays as he fiddled despondently with his outdated phone.

Accustomed, at this point, to feeling vaguely queasy, Prompto bit the bullet and thumbed out a brief message to Ignis. He was well-versed in putting up a cheerful, carefree appearance, and he made good use of it now, peppering his words with exclamation marks and emojis.

 _P – Hey Iggy! Haven't heard from Noct in a while is he okay? I'm all ready for prom, thanks again for taking me clothes shopping! (_ _ﾉ_ _^∇^)_ _ﾉﾟ_

He paused before hitting send, carefully reading over the message several times to make sure it portrayed none of what he was actually feeling. The last thing he wanted to do was burden the advisor with his problems, especially after the man had already gone out of his way to help him prepare for Noctis' special night.

While he stared around the empty park, he recalled the last time he had been there. It was with Noct, and despite getting drenched with pond water, he had been so _content_. Things had been gloriously normal back then. Familiar, and comfortable. Where did things go so wrong? He didn't know, but Gods, he really missed his best friend.

Wet pools swelled threateningly in Prompto's tired eyes. Blinking toward the sun, a single tear broke loose, forging a cool, wet path over flushed freckles. Drawing his knees tighter to his chest, he sat in silence, sniffing and gripping his phone tight to steady his shaky hands as he awaited Ignis' reply.

After a few long minutes, the vibration in his grip stirred him free from his thoughts and he stared at the illuminated screen.

 _I: I'm afraid the young Prince has been tied up in council meetings at the citadel. He should, however, be free by Friday. I trust you have everything in order?_

 _P: Yes, everything. Except for my date. Haven't heard from Noct in about two weeks. We had a bit of a… falling out of sorts._ (｡╯︵╰｡)

 _I: Ah, well that explains why the Prince has been miserable. And here I was thinking it was just because the cleaners had accidentally washed out his phone with the bed linens._

Wiping his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket, Prompto perked up at the glimmer of hope that there was a reason for his abandonment.

 _P: Really? His phone is busted? Oh man, haha… (□_□)_

 _I: Yes. Plus, it has been a long and trying two weeks at the citadel. I'm certain that being taken to the prom will be just what the Prince needs after all of this. A healthy dose of your enthusiasm is sure to do the trick._

 _P: I'll see what I can do then._ ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

 _I: Shall I come to collect you Friday at 6:00 pm?_

 _P: Yes, that's perfect. THANKS! I owe you man!_

 _I: Put a smile back on the Prince's face for me, then you may consider us even._

Prompto sniffed wetly, grinning to himself as he smeared his tears from his face with finality, wiping his damp palm and knuckles on his jeans. At least now, he had an explanation for Noct's radio silence. But he still had no idea how the Prince was taking the whole 'kiss' episode. He wondered if Noct had already put it out of his mind, written it off as a foolish mistake and then convinced himself never to speak of it again.

He pondered whether, therefore, upon manifesting himself at Noct's place by surprise, dressed up to the nines and ready to take him on a romantic prom date, he might be more apt to receive a stony silence and a door in the face than a relieved hug. Regardless, he thought that at this point, having missed the Prince so sorely, he would welcome either eventuality if it only meant that he could see him.

* * *

The agony of the final few days of school was quickly replaced by nervous butterflies as Prompto stood before his bedroom mirror, buttoning up his shirt and tucking it neatly into his white dress pants. His plans for prom night were finally starting to materialize, as was his outfit, and his perfectly-styled hair. It had taken him well over an hour to force every blond strand into its perfectly-gelled place, probably setting a new personal record.

"Who could say no to this hair?" he joked, grinning flirtatiously at himself in the mirror.

He removed a small purple, velveteen box from one of the fancy designer bags and opened it carefully. He had searched online for several hours to find a store that was able to custom-make the chocobo-etched cufflinks based on his own design, and the effort was not wasted. The gleam of the stylish metal made him smile inside. After fastening the cufflinks, he paused to admire the shiny silver, wondering if Noctis would notice them.

Prompto took a huge breath, easing it out the same way he hoped to ease the honest, excited panic that was electrifying him. Lifting a palm to coax his quiff just into the right place, he smoothed down his jacket, grinned at himself in the traditional exercise of viewing a confident version of himself in the aluminium glass, and fingered the hem of his white jacket. Scuffing his red boots experimentally across his threadbare carpet, Prompto turned to dare to admire himself in the mirror.

"Yeah, that'll do."

When he first told Ignis of his plans to wear the red Doc Martens, he had received a questioning, raised eyebrow from the advisor. However, looking at how sharp they were now, paired with the traditional white tux, he was pretty sure Ignis would approve. Collecting the last and final bag from his desk, he marched out of his room and headed outside to where he knew Ignis would be waiting, even though (despite the hair record) he was ten minutes early.

Admiring his glossy red boots even as he walked down his front path in the balmy evening air, he almost tripped on an uneven slab, narrowly avoiding landing face first on the concrete and accessorising his outfit further with a black eye and a bloody nose. He heard Ignis' soft chuckle through the car's open window as he approached it, blushing hard.

"I do hope you'll manage better than that if there is any dancing to be done. Or at least, that Noctis will be wearing more appropriate footwear," the advisor teased fondly.

"Hey Iggy!" Prompto hopped into the immaculate sedan, laughing nervously and fidgeting with his lapels. "Is everything ready?" he asked the advisor apprehensively.

"Don't worry, I have made all of the necessary preparations," the advisor reassured the blond with a confident grin. "Although, if you are in need of your date for this evening's adventures, you may have to rouse the Prince from hibernation. His Highness has had quite a long day and I'm afraid it may have gotten the best of him."

"Don't worry, I have my ways of waking him up," grinned the excited blond.

* * *

Something was niggling in the Prince's subconscious, and it was manifesting as an irritating and slightly unnerving dream. He groaned massively, turning over in his king-sized bed, hugging his fifteen-year old cuddly moogle to himself, inhaling its comforting warmth and squeezing it under his chin.

His slightly troubling dreams soon morphed into a reluctant wakefulness, and he spared his darkened room a petulant glare before pulling the duvet back over his head, cocooning himself in warmth and cosy solace.

* * *

Prompto swallowed hard, trying to keep his nerves at bay as he knocked on the door to Noctis' flat.

No response.

Trying once more and hearing no sign of life stirring from beyond the other side of the thick oak, he pulled the spare key Ignis had given him from his chest pocket and slid it into the lock. Pushing the heavy door open quietly, the blond slipped into the dark apartment. Knowing exactly where he would find the Prince, he made his way to Noctis' bedroom and discovered a lump in the middle of the bed.

"Six o'clock on a Friday night… typical," the blond murmured quietly with a smile as he sat on the edge of Noctis' bed. This was the closest he had been to Noctis in what felt like forever, and just how much he had missed his best friend suddenly hit him when he peered upon Noctis' sleeping face peeking out from under the blanket. He reached down and gently touched a lock of raven sleek hair between his fingertips.

Prompto pulled the silky, silvery-black strands though his fingers tenderly, almost too mesmerised to be suitably guilty for molesting his sleeping friend.

He startled, ice in his heart, when the peaceful, unconscious Prince grabbed his hand in a fumbling yet surprisingly-strong grip, tucking it neatly under his smooth chin alongside the sleep-warm moogle toy. Noctis grumbled softly, before letting out an expansive, purring sigh.

"Prompto…"

The single word sent the blond's heartbeat into a flutter. Was the Prince having a dream about _him_? Letting his hand linger against Noctis' skin for a few moments longer than he probably should, he leaned over a little until he was close enough to savour the scent of Noctis' hair. Gods he missed that smell.

Deciding it was finally time to rouse his friend, Prompto gently shook the cocooned body in front of him.

"Hey there. Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

"Nhh. No...jssh...ugh..."

Noctis grunted loudly, and inelegantly, and turned onto his back, dragging Prompto's hand with him. He unconsciously snuggled the slim hand back under his chin, gifting it with a faint trail of warm dribble, and one final, indistinct instruction.

"Stay w'me."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Prompto whispered silently. And honestly, if he wasn't wearing the most expensive article of clothing he'd ever owned in his life, he might have very well just hopped into bed with Noctis right then and there, and faced whatever reprisal followed when the Prince finally woke up. The idea was tempting.

"C'mon Noct… wake up," the blond said, a little louder this time, whilst tugging his arm from Noctis' grasp.

"Nnnn." The raven-haired teen grumbled, refusing to relinquish the appendage until Prompto yanked it from his grip. The motion finally stirred the slumbering Prince and his eyelids flickered open.

Finding himself with a mouthful of warm and slightly-damp pillow, Noctis frowned and gave an impressive groan of dissatisfaction. Rubbing his sleep-heavy eyes and sitting up, he was about to yawn when the tangible presence of his best friend at his bedside caused him to aspirate in shock and start coughing, choking on his startled inhales.

"Prom! Shit, what the _hell_ ," Noctis finally managed, peering at the blond, and taking in his curious outfit. To Prompto's everlasting amusement, the Prince raised a suspicious eyebrow and proceeded to pinch himself on the arm to test his wakefulness.

"Hey, buddy," the blond laughed quietly, anxiously straightening his jacket and brushing invisible lint from the material in an attempt to hide how much his hands were shaking. "Hope you didn't forget what tonight is."

"...Umm, judging by your attire, I think I have an idea," replied the Prince in a low but deliberate voice. "Nice suit," he added with a grin.

"Thanks."

"Gotta date?"

It was a loaded question. Prompto, finally daring to make eye contact, swallowed nervously and locked onto the Prince's dark blue orbs.

"Only if you say yes."

Noctis smirked, knuckling his sleep-crumpled hair from his forehead. "If I say yes, will you give me twenty minutes to get ready?"

Prompto pushed a thoughtful fist under his chin, rolling his eyes in extravagant contemplation.

"I guess I could allow that. Just remember I got us a chauffeur waiting." The blond chuckled, and then cleared his throat, his fingers fidgeting as he toyed with the hem of his virgin-clean white suit. "And, uh...if you do...I can assume we're all good, right? After...what happened?"

"Guess so," smiled the Prince.

"Good, cause I kinda like, really missed you dude."

"Missed you too."

The two friends sat quietly staring at one another for a few lingering moments before Prompto finally stood up, allowing Noct to slither his way out of bed. "Better get ready quick, before we're more than just fashionably late!" laughed Prompto, slapping Noctis' ass and grinning at the pleasing sound it made through the Prince's black silk boxers.

"Ok, ok," the Prince shouted as he disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

Almost exactly twenty minutes later, Noctis emerged from his room, an attractive blush staining his cheekbones. He had rather unceremoniously forced Prompto to wait downstairs whilst he 'arranged himself.' The Prince was distantly thankful that his closet housed more formal clothes than he could ever really need, and certainly more than he would ever choose to own. If it was up to him, he'd live in his T-shirt, cargo pants and a hoodie if the weather required it.

Clearing his throat, he trudged downstairs, a wry grin crinkling his eyes as he bashfully entered the sitting room. Spreading his hands with a melodramatic flourish, he presented himself to the blond who was fidgeting restlessly on his plush leather sofa. Noct's widescreen TV buzzed with pleasing white noise in the background as the Prince adjusted his dove-grey shirt awkwardly.

"Well, what do ya think?"

"Looks great…" Prompto stood and nervously walked over to his royal date, sizing him up appreciatively. "Just one thing missing," he added.

The Prince looked at him questioningly as the blond excitedly pulled out from behind his back a clear plastic package containing two brightly-coloured, chocobo-feathered boutonnières.

"Hope you don't mind, but I got these made especially for us," the blond beamed.

"Wow, you've really thought of everything," grinned the Prince.

With shaky hands, the blond carefully opened the package, taking up one of the showy articles and holding it against the lapel of Noctis' black jacket. "Mind if I…?"

"Go right ahead."

Prompto poked his tongue out in concentration, attaching the bright accessory to his friend's silky-soft (no doubt prohibitively expensive and bespoke) jacket. He nearly dropped the fiddly feathers a few times, causing them both to chuckle nervously under their breaths, avoiding each others' gazes and blushing heroically.

When Prompto was done, cocking his head in appreciation at his own handiwork, Noctis retrieved its partner and spent considerably less time pinning it to his best friend, clearly having had more experience in doing so.

"I, uh...we look...pretty good," Noctis acceded with a tooth-flashing rare grin, scratching his hair self-consciously. He suddenly frowned, and started speaking quickly. "It's been so damn busy here...I was kinda stressing out...and on top of that my phone got screwed and I should have tried to get in touch, but...well...I guess I'm sorry." Finally raising his sheepish, indigo eyes to the tailored blond, he took a deep breath, and then pressed a quick, apologetic kiss to Prompto's mouth.

After what felt like ages of living on the cusp of complete and utter despair, it was hard for Prompto to steady himself from the dizzying wave of giddiness that washed over him from the intimate contact. The touch was so different from their last exchange. Not a hurried assault, but sweet, and soft, and gentle. A feeling of warmth spread through Prompto's chest, his grin wide with delight. "D-don't worry about it, dude," the blond managed to stutter.

"So, you said we have a ride waiting?"

"Ah, yes!" Amidst all the goings on, Prompto had completely forgotten about Ignis waiting downstairs at the car. "Well, what do you say? Shall we get going, your Highness?"

"Thought you'd never ask," replied the Prince, hooking his elbow underneath Prompto's as the two departed for their big night, arm in arm.


	7. Chapter 7

Prompto's leg was tapping erratically in the back of the royal car, and his left hand was twiddling his right cufflink in compulsive circles.

"Hey, Prom," Noctis said gently, giving him a small nudge and leaning closer across the wide, leather-scented backseat.

"Oh, hey!" The blond replied, far too cheerfully, giving Noctis a quick, frightened grin.

Noct smirked, lowering his voice to match the deep silvery darkness of his hair and the encroaching nightfall outside the windows.

"Everything's gonna be fine. You're taking the hottest guy in school to prom," Noctis teased, chuckling. Prompto rolled his eyes and met the tender gaze of his best friend, whose eyes glowed hypnotically between dark purplish-blue and a bright indigo in the intermittent streetlights flashing into the car.

Prompto glanced nervously at the Prince, wondering if this was a bad idea after all. He was right, Noct was the hottest guy in school. The Prince, reading his best friend's mind, grabbed Prompto's hand and squeezed it reassuringly before interlacing their fingers.

"And here we are," announced Ignis, pulling the car up to the extravagant purple carpet that paved the Grand March, where all eager prom-goers streamed past a crowd of spectators as they made their way into the school gymnasium toward the magical wonders that awaited beyond.

"Thanks Iggy," the Prince leaned forward and gripped the advisor's shoulder. "Don't wait up," he added with a wink that set Prompto's freckles ablaze.

Noctis opened his door with ostensible calmness, though a small, bashful grin gave away his nervousness as he stepped out of the car and slammed his door shut behind him. Prompto closed his eyes briefly, ignoring Ignis' questioning glance which he could feel upon his face. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he tried to compose himself. Before he could, Noctis had yanked open his door in a rush of cool evening air and distant loud voices and laughter, and was flashing him a toothy smile, chuckling.

"We can spend time in the backseat later. Party first," he winked.

With a nervous laugh, Prompto was gently extracted from his last confines of safety and familiarity, and placed on display beside Noctis upon the velveteen carpet, amidst a flurry of excited chatter and flashing cell phones. The two had barely made a few steps down the walk before a newspaper photographer sporting an Insomnia Times lanyard around his neck, and a camera that instantly made Prompto salivate, greeted them both with a smile.

"Two good-looking young bachelors on the prowl tonight, I see!" he nodded with a grin as he looked them over. "Let's get a few shots for the ladies, shall we?" he asked, taking up his camera and pointing it at the pair.

"We're not – agh," Noctis scowled as the flash went off in their faces, and he waved his hand irritably in front of his eyes.

"Hey dude, your face is always on the front page, but some of us plebs would love a little exposure!" Prompto laughed rather forcibly and Noctis gave him a glance, well aware that his best friend was as nervous as hell, and he was putting up a front as usual.

Leaning in close to him, trying to keep quiet whilst also having to raise his voice above the clamour of paparazzi and guests, Noctis murmured to him.

"We can go straight in if you want. Unless you really want a picture with little old me?" he grinned, placing a hand on the small of Prompto's back.

The blond nodded, letting out a deep breath. "Yeah, let's do it. Just one," he laughed self-consciously.

The two posed briefly for a proper photograph and Prompto made a mental note to buy the morning paper so he could clip the picture and add it to his collection of Noctis-related keepsakes.

"Thank you, your Highness!" said the man gleefully, letting his camera rest against his chest while pulling a small notebook and pen from his pocket. "For the article, who shall I say is the Prince's wingman this evening?"

"Uh, Prompto Argentum," the blond replied timidly, as if he'd never been asked his name before.

Noctis couldn't help but chuckle. "And for the record, make sure you get it right. He's not my wingman. He's my date," the raven-haired teen clarified with a proud smirk as the photographer dropped his pen and looked up in shock, which appeared to be a combination of disbelief and excitement over landing what might be the biggest headline of his career.

The Prince threw his arm deliberately around Prompto's waist and pulled the blond close as he nonchalantly guided his date around the statue formerly known as the newspaper photographer, and beyond the pack of chattering onlookers.

There was a renewed rush of shocked babbling and camera phone flashes outside the gym as they traversed the darkened front doors, delicately draped in various silvery streamers and white fairy lights. Several voices yelled for them both to come back for more photos, and presumably just to be gloated at a little more.

"Oh _man_ , your dad's gonna kill you. Or me, more likely. He'll think I corrupted you," Prompto fretted quietly as Noct's hand spread possessively, and warmly, at the base of his back, rubbing vaguely.

"Oh great. More photos," Noctis said, rolling his eyes but smiling at the small stage area just ahead of them, where queues of couples were lining up for official photographs. Prompto was biting his thumbnail anxiously when Noctis leaned in close once more, looking enviably calm and collected.

"Look, Prom. Even if you _weren't_ the person I care most about in all of Eos...this is kind of an outreach thing. Why shouldn't two guys go to prom together, and just... _be_ together? Gods know there's always room for a little more tolerance and understanding in this world," the Prince shrugged. "Be good to set an example."

Prompto stared at him, impressed. "...Spoken like a true King," he blushed, beaming.

"And now this future King wants to take you to the party. C'mon," Noct grinned, snaking his hand around Prompto's slim waist once more.

"Welcome to _The Secret Garden_!" the school's Art Club president greeted the pair joyfully as they stepped up to the photo stage and posed in front of an intricate wrought iron gate in an archway overgrown with thick, leafy vines. The red-head looked at them both for a moment, pausing, and then stepping forward in front of Prompto, giving him a small, handcrafted wreath made of twigs and tiny white flowers.

"For you!" she exclaimed excitedly before whipping around and getting into position behind the camera tripod.

Prompto stared at the foreign object in his hand, wondering what to do with it.

"Think you're supposed to put it on your head," Noctis whispered beneath his breath.

"Seriously? But I spent so much time on this hair!" joked the blond, glancing over and seeing the expectant look on his date's face. Realizing Noctis was serious, and not wanting to disappoint the Prince, the blond caved and carefully placed the floral crown upon his head, positioning it as best he could to where the twigs weren't disturbing his perfectly-styled quiff. "This ok?" he asked Noct, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah. Looks good on you," the Prince smiled. Without further ado, the official photo was taken and Prompto made to shuck off the verdant tiara and scurry out of sight of the viewfinder.

"Hold your horses," Noctis instructed loudly, grabbing his Prompto's hand and interrupting his hasty departure. The couples who were queueing behind them emitted a ripple of chuckles, the girls cooing sweetly as the Prince retrieved the crown for himself and planted it on his own dark head with a rare grin.

"Can't let you have all the fun. Come on, how bout one more?" he hailed the photographer, his words more a demand than a question. Laughing and nodding, the photographer acquiesced, as Noctis hooked Prompto back in for another picture. He murmured into the blond's ear.

"Don't want you getting all paranoid about being the girl," he smirked, giving Prompto an affectionate, brief kiss on the side of his head, seemingly becoming quite enamoured with the fact that he could show off his best friend as his romantic partner for the evening, and growing more confident and excited about the entire venture.

A minute later, after returning the headdress prop, the two were walking hand-in-hand into the school gymnasium. It was barely recognizable amidst the floor to ceiling green leafy vines, rose bushes, and twinkle lights that draped across the entire roof making it look like they were standing beneath a galaxy of stars.

"Ah wow...it's so pretty," Prompto sighed, gazing up wide-eyed as couples shuffled around them, chattering and giggling in a ceaseless murmuring hum. In the darkened room, people he knew became almost anonymous, random human shapes made restless with adrenaline and glee.

Grinning proudly, as if the whole thing had been his idea, Noctis steered Prompto to a slightly-less crowded area to their left, politely scooting around loudly chatting groups of their peers, and scoffing in amusement at a few conspicuously handsy couples. As they wedged themselves cosily into a shadowy nook under a massive, fairytale-like tree bedecked with tiny crystals, the music abruptly grew louder, leading to whoops and cheers and dispersed clapping.

"I meant to say," Noctis told Prompto loudly, raising his voice over the bassline that was almost vibrating through the floor. "I love the boots. Sexy."

"Th-thanks," the blond said anxiously after realizing the implication of the compliment he had just received from his best friend. Prompto tried hard to quell the obvious smile pulling at his lips, and the onslaught of fleeting thoughts about kissing Noctis who was now standing just mere inches away.

"You know, I never imagined it'd actually work out like this," said the Prince, closing the gap between them even more. "That I'd get to be here with you, like this. Together."

"Ah yeah, it's pretty cool, right?" Prompto squeaked happily, glancing around at the enchanting décor and the bodies moving within the sea of taffeta on the dancefloor. Finally, his gaze landed upon the reflection of starry lights in Noctis' deep blue eyes. The blond stood captivated, entranced by the enamoured look on his best friend's face as the Prince reached out and placed a gentle hand on his neck, bringing him closer until their lips pressed softly together.

Prompto sighed contentedly, smooching his best friend with shy restraint. After a few seconds, Noctis made to run his tongue teasingly along the seam of Prompto's thin lips, seeking entrance, when the blond pulled back, the cosy blush on his skin visible even in the low lighting.

"Hey, Noct, uh...when I came round to your place...I think you were dreaming. You said my name," Prompto chuckled bashfully. "Do you remember what it was?"

"Um, I can't say for sure, but it must have been a good dream if you were in it." Lacing their fingers together, Noctis massaged flirtatious circles into Prompto's palm with the pad of his thumb.

"Tsk. Who knew the Prince was such a smooth talker?" Prompto teased as he leaned against Noctis' shoulder to face the crowd with what he could only imagine was a ridiculously gigantic grin. If this kept up much longer, his cheeks were going to hurt. But he had to admit, it was a feeling he could easily get used to.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the music changed and a familiar song he knew from Noctis' favourite playlist filled the gymnasium. Spinning round, he turned to face the Prince in a low, sweeping bow and extended a hand toward Noct. "May I have this dance, your Highness?"

"...Dance?" Noctis replied, looking a bit sheepish and exhibiting a faint blush on his high cheekbones.

"Yeah, a dance. And don't go all shy on me, I know for a fact that you've been taught how to do it properly," Prompto chuckled. "Me, I'm substituting actual skill for a whole lotta false confidence."

"You might surprise yourself," Noctis grinned, scratching his head and taking the proffered hand. "Let's show 'em how it's done." The Prince let himself be led towards the crowded dancefloor, side-stepping noisy couples and groups of friends. A couple of wolf-whistles accompanied their short trip, and they both chuckled self-consciously.

Finally, the pair stopped in the middle of the dancefloor, taking up residence beneath the giant, glittering disco ball. Upon their arrival, Noctis placed his hands gently around Prompto's narrow waist, barely hovering atop the pristine white fabric. Following Noctis' lead, Prompto positioned his hands loosely around the Prince's neck, fingertips spontaneously and unknowingly fascinated with running along the edge of the dove-grey collared shirt that peeked out from beneath Noctis' black jacket.

The intimacy of the closeness sent both teenagers' hearts pounding and various shades of scarlet painted youthful cheeks. Beneath the intensity of their unbroken gaze, the rest of the world seemed to fade away into the background and their bodies began to move together in time with the slow, thrumming beat.

Soon, Noctis' keen gaze caused Prompto to rupture into sharp, embarrassed giggles, and he tucked his head against the Prince's, nuzzling into the warm, smooth skin of Noct's neck and hiding his hot blushes there. He was gratified that the awkward noise he made when his best friend teasingly squeezed his backside in both hands was muffled there.

"Don't get us thrown out of here, Noct," the blond murmured against the Prince's cool earlobe, letting his lips tickle there. "You might be royalty but there are kids around," he joked.

Prompto could feel Noctis' grin against his cheek, and suddenly, with a rare, momentary spark of confidence, he gave the Prince's earlobe a quick, discreet little nip that drew a sharp breath from his friend.

"What's wrong?" Prompto teased mischievously into the shell of the Prince's ear before repeating the action a second time and enjoying the response even more. Noct tightened his grip around the blond's waist and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Again their lips met, and this time Prompto parted his willingly to permit Noctis' eager tongue to slip inside. Their hot, wet tongues ran slowly over one another, testing, feeling, and becoming familiar with the other's taste while the dance floor around them was reduced to nothing more than a blur of starry lights.

Noctis pulled back abruptly, laughing, his head down and his long, silvery-black hair in his eyes. "Kay, not that this isn't _really_ hot, but, uh...you're kinda gonna make me embarrass myself in front of everyone," the Prince admitted, swatting his friend fondly, and reprimandingly, on his backside.

"Yeah, okay. You're off the hook. For now," Prompto smirked, giving a blinding grin that made Noctis' heart somersault with affection. The song changed, something upbeat, with a heavy bassline that was instantly recognisable to the teenagers in the crowded, darkened gym, and a roar of appreciative cheers deafened the pair briefly.

"You go find us something to drink, okay?" Prompto asked his best friend loudly, scooting him off of the dancefloor as it was inundated with their whooping schoolmates in a crush of excited bodies. "I've gotta go fix my hair!"

"You got it," replied the Prince as he disappeared into the leafy overgrowth in search of the huge punch bowl and table of assorted sweets they had passed earlier.

Prompto's eyes were assaulted by the bright, flickering fluorescent light of the men's room as he slipped inside and away from the crowd. Behind the heavy metal door, the loud beat of the music deadened to a dull thump and his ringing eardrums were instantly thankful.

The teen waltzed happily past the deserted stalls, reminiscing over his last kiss with Noctis and feeling a sense of achievement in the way Noct had reacted to it. Reaching the row of sinks and mirrors at the far end of the room, he leaned over a sink to get a closer look at his reflection. Seeing that his hair needed some perking up after being subjected to the humidity of the dancefloor, he took out the miniature hair balm he had brought with him and got to work. In his deep concentration, the blond barely noticed when the door of the bathroom opened and he was no longer alone.

"Hey sunshine, got a light?" Prompto looked up, startled by Kai's deep voice resonating down the empty room. The larger teen made no effort to hide the way he was sizing up the blond as he confidently propped himself against the wall beside the bathroom door and pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket.

Prompto squirmed at the idea of a confrontation.

"You seem to know enough about me already, so you know I don't smoke," the blond shrugged, cautiously eyeing up his interrogator. Kai was wearing a dapper dark-grey suit with matching waistcoat, a dark red shirt and a slightly-askew black tie. His usual subtle eye make-up had been kicked up a notch with thick, smoky black guyliner, and his deep scarlet hair was artfully messed up. The taller boy plucked a cigarette from the packet, his metal-ringed fingers twiddling it teasingly.

"You're welcome to try one," Kai shrugged, smirking. "Unless, of course, your mouth's already occupied. Kinda looked that way from where I was standing."

"Leave it alone, dude. I'm just trying to have a nice time. And quit texting me. How'd you get my number anyway?" Prompto murmured, arranging his hair in the mirror and obstinately avoiding the other boy's penetrating gaze.

"I have my ways. Plus, it doesn't hurt that my mom's the school secretary," Kai chuckled.

"You know, you really shouldn't smoke in here. You'll get expelled," warned the blond angrily.

Producing an ornately-carved ivory Shiva lighter from his pants pocket, Kai defiantly lit his cigarette, savouring a long puff before exhaling the smoky exhaust.

"Nice lighter," the blond muttered irritably. Deciding now was about the time for him to make an exit, Prompto stuffed his hair balm back into his pocket and hastily washed his hands, flicking the excess water into the sink before striding wearily toward the door.

"Going somewhere?" Kai asked the blond with a sneer, smoke billowing from his flared nostrils. He flicked his unfinished cigarette into the adjacent toilet and shifted position, looming threateningly in front of the exit.

"Let me pass," Prompto demanded, attempting to step around the larger male.

"I don't think we're done here," Kai uttered, suddenly grabbing the blond and plastering himself against Prompto's smaller frame as it slammed forcefully backward into the tiled wall.

Wincing at the slight pain and raising a dubious eyebrow, Prompto swallowed gently and did his best not to be intimidated. Against the cold tiled wall, he could feel the bass vibrations of the loud music out in the main hall thudding against his shoulder blades.

"I'm giving you a fair warning," the blond told the taller student evenly. Truth be told, he didn't quite know what he would do if it came to physically fending the other boy off, but he figured a kick in the shin would be a fair place to start. Should give him enough time to beat a wise retreat without seriously hurting the other guy, anyway. In his early teens, when he was being routinely bullied, he'd been kicked between the legs himself and he wouldn't wish the agony on anyone, not even this creep.

"Listen, Prompto...you look incredible. It's a special night. You wouldn't begrudge me one kiss, right? I promise it'll be worth it. Pretty please?" Kai murmured, and narrowed his kohl-lined eyes seductively, one hand tickling gently at the soft hairline behind the blond's ear as he leaned in with ominous, slow surety.

Prompto stood momentarily frozen, his mind reeling with denial at what was happening. But as the uninvited lips continued to advance, accompanied by the stench of ashtray, the blond sprang into action and squirmed to get away. Kai's grip on Prompto's arm refused to let up, triggering the blond's bright red boot to connect with the larger male's shinbone.

"Damn it," Kai spat in pain from the assault, briefly releasing the blond, but then suddenly clenching a fistful of white lapel as Prompto tried to sprint past. "What's your problem?" the dark-haired teen asked, his tone sour and his grip firm. "Don't tell me you're saving yourself for _him_."

"Let go of me!" yelled Prompto, frantically grabbing a hold of his opponent's wrist in an attempt to free himself.

At that moment, the door of the bathroom burst open, and in a silent vacuum of seconds, the fist of one very angry-looking Prince connected with Kai's porcelain face, sending him toppling backward.

Kai could barely enunciate full words, though his writhing and bitter, blood-soaked mumbles gave a fair impression of pain and shock. He planted his left hand against the sticky floor, using the other to stem the flow of body-hot, dark blood from his nose.

"You, you're a fucking maniac!" He yelled numbly, backing away from the Prince, who was creating a dark-suited barrier between his date and the interloper.

"And don't you forget it," Noctis muttered, smearing drying blood from his knuckles with disdain.

"Stay the hell away from me," Kai sputtered through dripping blood as he hastily picked himself up and staggered around the fuming Prince toward the exit.

"Well you should stay the hell away from _my_ date then." Noctis stood firm, straightening his jacket and glaring down his nose at Kai who hurriedly grasped the door handle and slinked back into the darkness.

"Are you okay?" asked Prompto, shooting Noctis a concerned look.

"I've gotta get some air," replied the Prince as he shouldered the bathroom door roughly, storming out into the frenetic gloom beyond without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

"I...wait!" Prompto stuttered, heart still pounding from the fear of his near-assault and the adrenaline of seeing Noctis attack someone to defend his honour. It was a peculiar, thrilling mix of shock, awe, and arousal. He trotted after the Prince, who was storming out into the gloom. Noct flawlessly side-stepped endless, dark droves of their peers as they left the bathroom and returned to the ear-pounding volume of exciting chatter, vague whoops and yells, and of course the buzzing bassline of the music.

Dizzy with the sea of movement and noise that nearly overwhelmed him, Prompto followed Noctis with far less grace, awkwardly bumping into people, apologising with soundless words and raised hands against the deafening music. He lost sight of the Prince for a few seconds and his stomach wrenched in panic, before he saw the familiar bright yellow feather on a lapel, and gratefully used it as a beacon to the double doors at the far end of the gym.

Noctis was standing a few feet away from the exit in the warm summer air, arms crossed and eyes closed, but his countenance seeming more peaceful than it had in the aftermath of his aggression.

Prompto pushed his way outside, where the brilliant twinkle of fairy lights and garden décor extended into the vast expanse of the school's football and soccer fields. It was much quieter outside, the music dampened to a low bass and the noisy crowd of teenagers dulled to nothing more than a background murmur. A few scattered couples passed by as Prompto made his way nervously toward the Prince, but the area was pretty much deserted as most of the teens were busy enjoying the festivities inside.

"Hey."

Noctis opened his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Hey," the Prince mumbled vaguely.

"You okay?" asked the blond, his voice tense and laced with worry.

"Yeah," snickered Noct quietly. "Dude had it coming."

"Can I see?" asked Prompto, gesturing toward the Prince's swollen knuckles. Noctis reluctantly extended his hand, allowing the blond to size up his wounds. "Wow, looks like you really did a number on yourself," Prompto muttered with dismay upon viewing the full extent of scraped and bruising red skin. He took Noctis' hand gently between his own, which were still shaky after the unexpected altercation that just shattered his hopes of giving Noctis the best prom night ever.

"S'ok, really. It's just a minor flesh wound. You should have seen the other guy," joked the Prince.

"I'm… really, just… so sorry," the blond stammered, tone still serious as he leaned forward to lightly press his lips against Noctis' knuckles, giving each one a tender kiss.

The sensation of warm lips against his sore knuckles created a dual friction of tickling and stinging, and it caused Noct's mouth to twitch into a wry smirk.

"What are _you_ apologising for? It's not your fault you're the most eligible bachelor in school," he admitted, chuckling fondly. He used his free hand to cuff Prompto gently on the head, his fingers ruffling briefly into his coarse, stiffly-gelled hair.

"Well, thanks for coming to my rescue."

"No prob. I was wondering what happened when I came back with cupcakes and there was no sign of you. And well, it seemed like you were in need of a knight in shining armor," quipped the Prince with a grin.

"It's been tough at school without you, ya know," Prompto spoke quietly, eyes turned toward the perfectly cut blades of grass beneath their feet. "That dude… just wouldn't leave me alone."

"Yeah, he's a first-class creep," Noctis nodded. There was a lapse of words, a comfortable silence, before the Prince spoke up again, softly. "Seriously though...are you okay? I shouldn't have left you alone. Should've been looking out for you," he confessed.

Prompto beamed, turning to face his dark-haired friend, whose expression was maudlin. "You're a smart guy but you're not psychic. You didn't know that was gonna happen. And I'm not made of glass, so you don't need to worry about wrapping me up in cotton wool," he told him, giving him an affectionate nudge. "Still, that was kinda unexpected. Didn't think I was such hot property," the blond joked, smoothing down his white jacket, before tentatively pushing his hand into Noct's, squirming into a gentle hand-hold.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Noctis chuckled softly, pulling Prompto closer beside him. "Why do you think I got so jealous that night outside your place? Figured I was too late, and you were hiding some new guy in there," he added uncomfortably, inwardly wincing at the idea.

"Oh, you mean the night you tried to barge in and ruin your prom night surprise which I'd been planning for weeks?" the blond laughed.

"Heh. Sorry 'bout that," Noctis wallowed. "I didn't know."

"It's okay. I forgive you!" Prompto nestled himself happily into the crook of Noctis' arm and enjoyed the warmth he found there. "I hope you liked the surprise?"

"Sure did," chimed the raven-haired teen, leaning his head gently against Prompto's and staring up into the starry lights.

"Oh, just you wait! There's one more thing we gotta check out. A little something from Ignis to say happy graduation," the blond squeaked excitedly.

"Oh, _Gods_ ," Noctis muttered, his expression souring again. "He probably got me a set of frying pans or a new vacuum cleaner or something. As if he hasn't already given me enough hints on how to live like a normal adult."

"Well, you're not quite an adult yet. And for all he complains, I'm pretty sure kings don't have to do their own cooking and cleaning," Prompto chuckled. "No, this is way better than homeware, trust me. He was my accomplice in all this after all, remember," the perky blond added with a wink.

Noctis smirked and gave him a playfully narrowed glare, squeezing his hand. "And here I thought you were on _my_ side."

"I am," replied Prompto with a warm smile. "I always have been." Reluctantly leaving the warmth of his date's body heat, the blond took Noctis' hand carefully, making sure to avoid his injuries, and led him further into the garden. They left behind the glowing party lights in exchange for a more dimly lit maze of leafy pathways decorated by occasional hanging lanterns and white lattice arches. "Follow me!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"It sure is nice out here," Noctis commented quietly, looking around and enjoying the sweet scent of greenery carried in the gentle breeze of fresh night air.

"Sure is! But it should soon be time, so we better hurry!" Prompto chirped, picking up their pace as he eagerly pulled Noct behind him. "Must find the perfect spot…" the blond murmured to himself as he guided the Prince through the overgrowth toward the far end of the school property where they came upon an old playground. "Oh, this'll be perfect!" the Prompto squeaked happily.

Noctis chuckled to himself behind the blond, and Prompto turned to him with a sweet, questioning expression.

"...Could get used to this," the Prince admitted. "You taking the lead." He raised their joined hands in illustration.

Prompto responded with a sweet, flush-faced chuckle. "You looking for a little power play, Noct? Really didn't have you down as the type," he winked, and then laughed even harder at the shocked, embarrassed look on the Prince's pale features. "Kidding, Noct, kidding. Don't have an aneurysm," he teased.

"How can someone who looks so innocent be so..." Noctis began, trailing off.

"So damn sexy? I don't know, man. It's a mystery," Prompto suggested airily, before melting into self-conscious giggles. Noctis let go of his hand and gave him an affectionate shove, watching the sprightly blond trot over to the extensive and statuesque jungle gym, turning to beckon him close, before shimmying up the red bars of the climbing frame towards a flat, wooden platform some twelve feet off of the ground.

"Okay, hold up," Noctis told him, raising his hands in rejection. "I had to get out of _bed_ for this. There is no way I'm exercising as well."

"I promise you won't regret it," laughed Prompto, making it to the top of the perch and evaluating the vantage point whilst brushing the dust from his suit. "Yep, this should work," he whispered enthusiastically under his breath.

"Hey! You gotta see the view from up here," Prompto called back to Noctis who was shuffling reluctantly toward the metal handle bars, contemplating the climb. "Come on up, your Highness!" The blond offered an encouraging smile and extended a hand down to support the Prince's ascent. Noctis hesitantly took a hold of the bars and started pulling himself awkwardly upward.

"This suit is definitely not made for climbing," the Prince muttered, feeling the seams of the expensive, fitted fabric bunch and strain in the most uncomfortable places as he ascended. Prompto solidly gripped the raven-haired teen's arm, hoisting him up onto the rickety weathered platform, giving him one final tug to get him topside.

"Oomph!" squawked the blond, toppling backward underneath the Prince.

"S-sorry!" stammered Noctis, flushed with embarrassment. He quickly rolled off of his friend into a sitting position against one of the faded wooden walls engraved with years of student initials and other assorted graffiti.

"Heh, it's ok," Prompto laughed shyly, rubbing the hurt from his tailbone and scooching over to sit beside his Prince.

"So, uh...hmm," Noctis suddenly murmured, his husky voice raised slightly in interest. Prompto followed his gaze, and watched the Prince run a finger over the well-worn indents of the wood behind him, scratched with the marks of scores of students over scores of years. Some were glossy and deep, some barely scraped through the top surface of the wood, the faded ink of a ballpoint pen still evident, still managing to survive Insomnia's sometimes-volatile elements.

"You gonna vandalise it, Noct? Hey, put, 'The KING was here, bitches!'" Prompto chuckled, nudging his best friend with his shoulder.

Noctis made a face, pondering exaggeratedly. "I gotta better idea," he grinned, abruptly pushing his fingers into the pocket of Prompto's dress trousers, rummaging. "Where is it, I know you have one."

"Woah, dude!" the blond exclaimed sharply, trying to bat Noct's hand away. "What are you doing?"

"You _always_ carry weird junk around with you. I know you gotta penknife."

"And you think I brought it to prom?"

"You did, didn't you." Noctis told him flatly, barely even enunciating it as a question.

"...Well...yeah. Hey, you never know when weird junk might be useful! Like, _right now_ for instance," Prompto shrugged, retrieving his mini, fold-up penknife and giving it to Noctis, who looked smugly victorious, unfolding the small blade.

"You're a nerd, Prom." He ended his statement with a quick kiss to his best friend's warm, freckled cheek.

"Yeah, and you love it," joked the blond, but the Prince was now directing all his attention toward the letters he was whittling into the age-worn wood, his tongue peeking out between his lips the way it always did when he was deep in concentration.

Prompto couldn't help but look on in amusement while Noct was completely absorbed in his work, the letters beginning to take shape – _N.L.C._

"Hey, no peeking til I'm finished," the Prince commanded, glancing up momentarily to shoot Prompto a stern look.

"Ha! Sure thing, your Highness!" Prompto obediently looked away toward the stars overhead. It was a beautiful night. As he relaxed and enjoyed the deliciously sweet smell of foliage combined with the subtle scent of Noctis, he couldn't help but ponder how there was nowhere else in the world he'd rather be. He set his head back against the wood and began counting constellations while the Prince worked diligently creating his masterpiece.

"There. That should do it," announced Noct after several minutes of comfortable silence, interrupted only by the consistent creak of scored wood and sharp metal.

"Do I have permission to look, your Highness?" Prompto asked, playfully holding his palms over his eyes and fidgeting with excitement.

"Go for it," came the Prince's laconic instruction, and he shifted aside slightly, chewing back an amused, and somewhat self-conscious grin.

With a musical chuckle, Prompto turned melodramatically, and the turbulent squall of different expressions that tried to inhabit his elfin features all at once was a delight to watch. Noct scratched his own softly-spiked hair awkwardly, as the blond gaped at him.

"Noct, like...seriously?"

Noctis spared a glance at his handiwork, a simple carving of their initials, framed by a slightly wonky heart-shape. He flicked away some sawdust from the wounded wood distractedly.

"I...of course. I mean...that's why we're here...isn't it?" he asked, voice croaking a little from anxiety.

A faint blush adorned the Prince's cheeks as he nervously fiddled with the penknife, tucking the blade away and shoving it into his pocket where he fidgeted with it some more as he awaited Prompto's response.

"Y-yeah, I… I guess it is," Prompto said timidly, trying to quell the surge of emotion welling up inside his chest like a storm trying to burst free. He honestly couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd ever felt this happy. Did he really deserve this?

"Hey, hey," Noct moved closer, looking concerned and using his thumb to gently wipe away the single tear that had escaped the wet pools forming in Prompto's sapphire eyes.

"Oh! Sorry," Prompto sniffed, embarrassed. He hadn't even realized he'd started crying. He quickly rubbed his eyes, and smiled at Noct. "Don't worry, I'm just… really happy is all."

"Dude, I always worry about you. Especially when you start crying when I'm trying to be all romantic," Noctis shrugged in an exaggerated and entirely play-acted show of indignance. "But I...I'm sorry if that was too much. Shit, I mean...that's gonna be there for a long time," the brunette laughed huskily, running one pale hand through the sleek, soft hair that obscured his merry eyes.

"It's ok. It's not too much," Prompto said smiling. He stared at Noctis' creation, tracing a single finger absent-mindedly around the simple, carved heart. "I like it. A lot," he added.

"Well, that's good, because I do too," the Prince smiled, gripping his palms against Prompto's smooth cheeks and forcing the blond to meet his intense gaze. "I'm serious, you know. This is real. And I want the world to know about us, Prom."

"Don't worry, they will once they see tomorrow's newspaper," laughed the blond nervously.

"Good," the raven-haired teen mumbled right before their lips met in a long-awaited kiss.

Noctis suckled gently, and briefly on Prompto's thin lips, distantly fancying that maybe the taste of him was partly influenced by a lifetime of laughter that had dampened and melted and settled on that mouth. Not nearly enough laughter, as far as Noctis was concerned. Prompto had had a rough start in life and still practically had more hang-ups than Noctis could count. He hoped, one day, somehow, to remedy that.

"...I bet you could have taken a better photo of us than that guy," the Prince mused, thinking back to the dumbstruck photographer, who was probably already back in his paper's headquarters, unable to believe his luck and the staff getting screamed at to push the next morning's edition through ASAP.

"Well, I'd certainly like to try some time," smiled Prompto.

At that moment, several loud booms resounded above them, the vibrations almost strong enough to shake their rickety platform, while the night sky lit up with a spectacular mix of colourful petals exploding and spilling down across the darkness.

"Ah! This is it!" announced the blond happily, looking toward the fireworks and throwing his arm around Noctis' shoulder as the sounds and bright colours exploded in successively impressive bursts, growing larger and more extraordinary by the minute.

"Is...is this...?" Noctis trailed off, his soft and husky voice made higher-pitched with awe, and his words would have been barely audible to Prompto over the explosive fireworks directly overhead, if the Prince hadn't been tucked so close to him. "...This was Iggy? Gotta say, this is better than cookbooks," Noctis chortled, edging closer still to the blond, bumping their hips together. Noctis cringed slightly, as if expecting the neon sparks from the fireworks above them to rain down in some kind of fiery, skin-searing precipitation.

"Yep, this is all thanks to Ignis. We really wanted to make this night special for you, ya know. Especially since it's supposed to be 'the best night ever' and all", Prompto chuckled, recollecting what Noctis had once said about the prom.

"It is," Noctis confessed. "The best night ever, I mean," he added bashfully.

Prompto beamed and leaned his head gently against Noctis' shoulder. The two sat like that for a while, nestled into one another, fully captivated by the incredible display unfolding across the night sky. The fireworks were grander than anything they'd ever seen before at any of the summer festivals or New Year's celebrations. It was impressive, to say the least. Ignis must have certainly gone all out to set this up.

"It's beautiful," the blond said with awe after a single loud boom sent a sky full of gold, glittering hearts trickling downward.

"Sure is."

Prompto turned to look at his Prince, who was now gazing at him softly, the shower of sparkles reflecting in his eyes.

Noctis licked his lips quickly, opening his mouth to speak, and then grimacing with an irritated smile as he was rudely interrupted by the monumental bang of a blue-green, star-shaped firework overhead, crackling into aqua sparks before fading into black nothingness. Barely a second later, a deep yellow spiralling explosion, like a giant, incandescent pinwheel, fizzed hundreds of feet over their heads.

"Prom, look, I wanna tell you something...Uh..." Noctis muttered, shifting on the hard wood platform and clearing his throat as he visibly planned his next words.

"Shall I give you a minute?" Prompto teased him tenderly.

"Shut up! I'm getting there, don't interrupt me," Noctis scowled, but amusement glowed in his downcast eyes and flushed cheeks nevertheless. "Look, I'm kinda crap at this stuff. I'm lucky I can form whole sentences half the time, especially when you're around, making me all tongue-tied," he admitted, letting out a soft huff of laughter. "But...you did all this for me. Well, I'd kinda like to think that it's for _us_. I didn't, uh...I really didn't have anyone I could call a friend before. At least, nobody who hung around me _just_ because they liked my company. And I'm...I'm dreading all the stuff I'm gonna have to do after school. Scares the shit out of me, actually," he confessed quietly, eyes down and silvery-black hair shielding his expression. "But I...I think that maybe I could handle it. As long as you're with me."

Prompto took a shallow, shaky breath to speak, his eyes pained and supplicating all at once. The Prince held up one hand, silencing the inevitable flood of words from his friend.

"What I'm trying to say, is, uh...well, you know. Thank you. For everything. I don't...know what I'd do without you. Life would be...kinda empty," Noctis shrugged, clearing his throat self-consciously. "I have no idea if that's what love is, but...if not, I reckon it's close enough," the brunette shrugged, finally lifting his cautious gaze to look upon his friend, fingers fidgeting restlessly.

"Noct, I…" Prompto paused for a moment, finding himself at a loss for words after his best friend's confession. Their years of friendship were finally coming full circle, the intricately-shaped pieces of their puzzle all falling into place. Everything just felt… so _right_. Still, his hands were shaking, his heart pounding as he swallowed hard to try and steady his voice before he spoke once more.

"Noct, I should be the one thanking you. I mean, you know everything you said just now? It's exactly how I feel too. Before we started hanging out, I was always alone. But now, with you, I feel like life is worth living. These past couple of weeks really made me realize that. I'm not so good at this confession stuff either, and I can't say I've ever been in love before now, but when you're not around, I know it hurts. Right here," added the blond, pressing Noct's hand to his chest. "I was always afraid to let myself believe that it could work out like this. For us, I mean. I've been waiting all night to wake up from this amazing dream, cause I just can't help thinking that I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you. You're a Prince, for cryin' out loud! And I'm just… nothing, really."

"Stop right there," Noctis interrupted, pressing his finger firmly against Prompto's thin lips. "You are not nothing. You are special. You're my best friend and the only person in all of Eos that really matters to me. I want us to be together, Prom. Plus, you should know by now, I don't make time for just any old loser. You gotta start realizing that if you're gonna be my boyfriend."

"Heh, sorry," the blond laughed sweetly. "It might take some getting used to, but I'll try to remember that," he quipped with a smile. "And _boyfriend_ , huh? I think I like the sound of that!"

"Me too," said Noct, flashing a confident grin. "Now come here, _boyfriend_."

The teens barely noticed the fireworks show above them as it drew to a spectacular close. They sat in each other's arms beneath the stars, their lips locking together in an endless waltz of perfect kisses while everything else outside of their embrace faded away.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time that Noctis and Prompto's mouths had separated by unspoken mutual consent, the fireworks had ended, the spiralling neon sparkles and burning colours long dissipated into the cold, translucent blackness of the evening sky. A slight breeze that was heralding the onset of night was just on the wrong side of chilly, even given the summer season, and the blond snuggled roughly into the Prince, a wide and toothy grin on his freckled face.

"Dude, I think my ass has gone to sleep," he announced suddenly, causing Noctis to snuffle with immature laughter.

"Perhaps we should get going? Don't want anything to happen to that sweet butt of yours," Noctis grinned wryly, triggering another flush of pink to spread across Prompto's cheeks.

"Ha ha, very funny! But yeah, it's starting to get a little chilly," Prompto conceded, his icy fingers seeking warmth underneath Noctis' suit jacket.

"Woah, you're freezing," remarked the Prince, feeling the blond's cold hands through his silk shirt. He took both of Prompto's hands and cupped them tightly within his own, pulling them toward his mouth and blowing hot air to warm them up.

"Let's get you outta here. Shall I call Iggy to come get us, or should we just catch a cab back to my place?"

Prompto was shrugging, about to suggest that he would go along with whatever Noctis wanted (not because he was royalty, but because he would quite frankly sacrifice any of his own desires if it made his best friend even a tiny iota happier. Sometimes, the strength of this sentiment worried him, but the joy he felt in it far outweighed any sense of masochism that might be implied by his affection).

"Wait up," Noctis interrupted, pulling out his own mobile phone and seeing a message there, apparently sent by Ignis shortly after he had delivered them to prom.

 _ _ **Iggy -**__ _ _When you are ready to leave, message the number I am about to text you and ask for Amias. He will pick you up. Think of it as one last little surprise.__

Raising a sceptical eyebrow, Noctis showed the bright screen to Prompto, who was peering at the slightly-cryptic message. The message beneath consisted of a simple, short telephone number.

"Should I text it?" Noctis asked, scratching his head, perplexed.

"Sure? I mean, I guess we should," replied the blond hesitantly. "But I honestly have no idea what this is all about. Iggy didn't mention anything about it when we were making all of our plans!"

Noctis thumbed out a brief message to the provided phone number, indicating that they were ready to leave. And not even a minute later, after the teens had scaled their way down from the playground treehouse, his phone chimed with a reply instructing them to meet in front of the school.

"Looks like we've got a ride," the Prince announced, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. "Shall we get going?" he asked, offering his date a courteous hand and a warm smile.

The blond beamed his thousand-watt smile and gratefully took Noct's hand, swinging their arms happily as they walked. "Totally flying right now," he sighed, squeezing the Prince's hand tightly in a spontaneous rush of fondness.

Noctis answered in his typical laconic manner, his tone warmed by pleasure. "I'm glad you're happy."

They made their way back inside the gymnasium, and were vaguely surprised to note that the pounding music had since died down, the lights were a little higher, in particular on a platform that had been strewn with almost-monstrously large ivy tendrils, all of which were powdered with silvery glitter. Large spotlights and a lone microphone, along with the murmurs of the massive, anticipatory crowd and a buzz of fresh energy, signalled that something important was about to occur.

As the two teens meandered their way through the hordes of onlookers, they barely noticed the school principal taking centre stage and sputtering on and on about starting new traditions, making the most of their bright futures, and being inspirations for others. Noctis was trying to usher Prompto to the main door so they could get out of the crowd once and for all, but the blond nudged him insistently.

"Dude, no, they're gonna crown the King and Queen. Pleeease, let's just see who it is and then we can go," he begged, with his cheesiest grin.

"Alright, alright," Noct acquiesced, holding his best friend's hand lightly as Prompto bounced on his tiptoes to see past a guy in front who was considerably taller than he was. With a grin, Noctis moved forward, bypassing the tight and mumbling crowd, leading them nearer the stage where Noctis stayed silent and tried to look inconspicuous, and Prompto hummed and fidgeted in anticipation. Noctis was about to check the time on his phone, sensing the speech was coming to a climax, when he heard Prompto squeak excitedly beside him.

"...and it gives me great pleasure to announce our royal couple this year...our very own Prince Noctis and his partner Prompto Argentum."

Suddenly, the pair found themselves at the point of converging spotlights. Both teens looked up with shock and surprise as the Principal congratulated them on being this year's Prom Kings and called them up to the stage to accept their crowns amidst an ear-splitting racket of yells, cheers, clapping, and for some reason, a rather heavy rock instrumental soundtrack that was spurring the bustling crowd around them to start to push them forward, a multitude of warm hands on their shoulders and backs prompting eagerly.

"Ummmm, what was that?" Prompto asked in disbelief, staring at Noctis beneath the bright, glaring lights as the crowd cheered themselves into a frenzy.

"I think, uh, I think we're supposed to go up there," the Prince pointed hesitantly toward the illuminated stage.

Noctis wasn't making much effort to actually move though, and his usually pale features were quite violently red. Even as Prompto was wincing at the deafening whoops and screams of encouragement around him, creating cacophonous echoes around the massive gym, he felt an equal, sympathetic pain for Noctis. The Prince looked mortified, more embarrassed than he had ever seen him before. Before the restless crowd could force the issue, Prompto took Noctis' hand and tugged it gently. The applause as they made their first halting steps towards the platform was momentous.

"Don't tell me we're really going up there," Noctis grimaced as Prompto led him toward the stage.

"We sure are your Highness! The Prom Kings need to address their people!" he beamed with an anticipatory smile as the sea of students parted, creating a pathway for the pair. Prompto interlaced his fingers with Noctis' in an affirmation of support, but also to ensure that the very nervous Prince couldn't try to slip away into the crowd.

The heat of the spotlights followed the two teens as they made their way up the thick, ivy-entwined staircase and onto the stage where the cheering escalated to a roaring applause with wolf-whistles and phone flashes from the rows of fangirls lining up at centre stage.

Noct's scowl and watery-eyed wince at the glare of spotlights and flashes meant that his face was a picture (literally – social media was blatantly being updated in real time by more than a few of their classmates, and even one or two teachers who were lurking at the edges of the gym).

Laughing in disbelief, Prompto yelled at Noctis and was still barely audible over the noise. "Holy shit Noct, this is awesome!"

The Prince grunted in non-committal reply, grudgingly taking the golden, surprisingly heavy yet delicate crown bestowed upon him. Prompto couldn't stop cooing and giggling as he received his own, thinner but more complex crown with bright-eyed awe.

"I already __got__ a crown, I don't need another one. And there was __less__ fuss when I got that one," Noct was grousing, just loud enough for the blond to hear.

"Well, this is my first, and I've gotta say, it feels pretty nice!" chortled the ecstatic blond, gratefully accepting the giant bouquet of roses that was handed to him as he awkwardly waved at the cheering crowd.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, let's hear a few words from our lucky couple!" the Principal announced, fiddling with the microphone to free it from its stand and placing it into Noctis' unwelcoming hand. The crowded gymnasium quickly grew silent and the music was quietened as the masses eagerly awaited their royal address.

"Better say something nice, Noct," Prompto said joyfully, elbowing his date gently in the hopes of breaking Noctis' frozen stare at the hordes of cell phones recording them.

Noctis had spoken in front of crowds before – he had made public appearances, attended high-class functions, given speeches at charity galas and political councils alike, despite his young age. Ignis and other staff had been tutoring him as such since his childhood. But somehow, the idea of an unplanned monologue in front of a gymnasium full of his teenage colleagues took the cake as probably the most terrifying thing that he had ever endured.

Blinking a few times, feeling his face literally stinging with blushes, his fingers throbbed as his fight-or-flight instinct started diverting blood away from his extremities and to his heart and muscles. Managing to spare a sidelong glance at Prompto, who was gazing at him both expectantly and endearingly, he nodded, feeling infinitely better, and began to speak.

"...I have to say, I was kinda hoping to sneak out before we got to this bit," he admitted in his husky tones, and there was a collective ripple of kind laughter. He continued haltingly, clearing his throat. "If it wasn't for Prompto, I wouldn't even be here tonight...and then someone more deserving than me would have received this," he smiled shyly, gesturing to his crown, which he proceeded to perch upon his head. "As it is, we're both here, and I'm thrilled about it. Seriously. This is just an added bonus. I __know__ I could have done a lot more to deserve this...heck, you all know I'm just the quiet dork who sneaks off for naps at lunch. I barely qualify for a __real__ crown," he shrugged, and more warm laughter followed, as well as a few scattered 'we love you Noct!' yells.

"But it's really Prompto who deserves this. He does everything. He's got the grades, he's a great athlete, he started the photography club, and he's the sweetest person...I'm a lucky guy, huh?" Noctis asked the crowd, blushing and chuckling when cheers and wolf-whistles followed. "So...thanks again, guys. Prom, you wanna say a few words?" Noctis offered the microphone to the blond with one noticeably-shaking hand.

Prompto grabbed a hold of Noctis' hand, squeezing it soothingly as he handed off his floral bouquet and took the microphone. "Thanks Noct," he said into the mic with an awkward smile as the device shrieked with high-pitched, ear-splitting feedback. He struck the mic with his palm, successfully quieting the screeching noise, and stared out into the bright lights, squinting a moment until his eyes adjusted.

"Sorry," the blond apologized with a giddy laugh. "I'm not good at this sort of thing, and I'm pretty sure I can't top that speech, so I'm not even gonna try!" Prompto joked, drawing out a ripple of laughter from the audience. "The only thing I really wanna say is that up until just recently, I was afraid of what the future may hold past graduation. But the fact that I'm here tonight with this insanely __amazing__ guy just goes to show that anything is possible. And so, I really want us all to look at graduation as a fresh, exciting new beginning – the start of even greater adventures! Or at least, that's the way I see it," he added sincerely with a hopeful smile. "So, congratulations everybody, and good luck with whatever the future holds!"

He placed the mic back on its stand as the gymnasium of teenagers broke out in loud, frenzied cheers. "Oh, and thanks for this!" he shouted over the roaring crowd, pointing to the ornate gold crown balancing on his head. "And I hope you all don't mind, but I just have to do this now," he added with an enormous grin, throwing an arm around Noctis' shoulder and pulling out his cell phone to snap a selfie with his date. "Gotta document this monumental occasion," he snickered to the Prince.

Noctis laughed helplessly, fighting the urge to scratch his face, the skin of which was so hot it felt like it was about to blister. Taking a quick, dizzying breath, the Prince grabbed Prompto's slim wrist to keep it in place, murmuring, "Another one." Without further ado, he leaned into the blond and gave him a firm, claiming kiss on the mouth. The tumultuous applause and cheers that followed were so loud he felt as if his skull was vibrating, his ears aching.

Noctis spoke up, fighting to be heard by his best friend even though he was only inches away. " _ _Please__ can we go home now?" he begged with an adorable, crooked grin.

"Sure thing, your Highness," the blond smiled with a nod. "Don't want to keep our ride waiting."

Noctis moved quickly to usher his date from the stage and out the back doors of the gymnasium, hastily making his way to the front of the schoolyard, Prompto in tow.

"Wow! I can't believe they let us keep the crowns," Prompto laughed, still giddy with excitement. "Feels all… royal!"

"I didn't realize you wanted a crown __that__ badly," the Prince snickered, wrapping his arm around the blond and drawing him close for a quick peck on the cheek. "All you had to do was ask and you coulda had mine any time."

"I think I prefer it on a one-time-only basis," Prompto laughed. "You know you gotta treat me like a Prince now, right? Gotta worship me all night."

The blond had asked the question innocently, but he could tell that Noctis had interpreted it as innuendo because his eyebrows raised, he swallowed and he blushed a little.

"Your wish is my command," the brunette shrugged, smirking.

"All right!" Prompto chuckled and made to high-five his best friend, who responded with a firm, affectionate palm.

They soon found themselves at the front of the gymnasium, the majority of random onlookers and the occasional paparazzi now departed. Relieved, Noctis led the blond in the direction of the road, feeling as well as hearing Prompto scoff, pointing ahead.

"Dude, a limo. Wonder who got dropped off in that? I mean, it probably cost a bomb. How do ya park something like that? Kinda showy..." Prompto pondered aloud. Both teens startled as the sleek, absurdly-long black limousine a little way ahead of them beeped loudly, and it's high-powered lights flashed.

As the driver's side window opened and a white glove waved the pair over, Prompto's eyes widened. "No way!" he squeaked with surprise. "Is this for us?"

"Looks like we know what Iggy's final surprise was," quipped the Prince, eyeing the gleaming, extravagant vehicle that was almost twice as long as the one his father used for special occasions.

"Can you believe the size of this thing?" Prompto said with astonishment as they approached the car and the chauffeur, outfitted in formal attire complete with a black top hat, got out to hold the rear door open for the couple.

"Greetings, your Highness," the man welcomed with a bow. "I am here to escort you home this lovely evening."

"Wow, thank you!" Prompto sang, eagerly boarding the limo and dragging Noctis in behind him. Inside, the interior was illuminated with neon purple lighting that reflected off the luxurious deep purple, leather seats. "Man, this is unbelievable!"

"Pretty fancy," Noctis murmured as the door closed behind them and they sank comfortably into the plush back seat. Beside them sat a shiny, silver tray holding two crystal glasses and a bottle of Champagne chilling on ice.

"Your father has provided some refreshments for the ride home," the chauffeur informed them after climbing behind the wheel. "Please enjoy!" he announced happily while rolling up the black-tinted privacy window behind the driver's seat.

A tiny, white card sat beside the bottle of bubbly, which Prompto keenly picked up and read aloud.

"It's from your old man! 'My best wishes to both of you, I hope you have had an enjoyable evening and that you will appreciate this token of gratitude. Noctis, for always making me proud, and Prompto, for being the best companion my son could ask for – Regis.'" Prompto cooed at the sentiment, feeling quite overwhelmed. "Oh man, that's so sweet. Your dad's awesome."

Noctis nodded self-consciously, letting out a husky laugh. "It coulda been a __lot__ more embarrassing," he conceded, as the limousine's engine started with a barely-audible purr.

"So...a toast?" Noctis gestured at the ice-wet bottle of Champagne and the delicate glass flutes.

The blond nodded enthusiastically. "I've never had this before! Okay, so, uh...'to us?'"

"Yes. To us. But more importantly, to __you__ on your new status as royalty!" the Prince laughed as he uncorked the bottle with a loud pop and generously poured their drinks. "Better not get too drunk," he grinned, handing Prompto one of the two very full glasses. "I just might try to take advantage of you."

"I think I've already had enough of that for one night," quipped the blond jokingly. "Although, something tells me that this time, I might not mind," he added daringly before taking a large gulp of the cold, fizzy liquid.

"Hey, slow down. Hold it in your mouth for a second, savour the flavour," Noctis chuckled, sipping at his own sparkling alcohol and gasping at the sweet, bubbly burn in his throat.

Prompto adopted a mock-serious face, his cobalt-blue eyes glittering mischievously. "...Wait...we're still talking about the Champagne, right?"

Noctis almost choked on his drink, spraying half of his mouthful across the back of the limo while the other half went up the back of his nose with a fiery sting. "Gahh!" he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You gotta warn me before you say something like that."

"Sorry!" Prompto feigned regret as the two began laughing. The blond had only had a couple of sips, but he was already starting to enjoy the liquid confidence.

It didn't take long for the alcohol to go to their heads. Prompto hadn't eaten all day due to nerves, and Noct's meetings had run through lunch. As soon as he had escaped, he had spent the next few hours asleep.

Predictably, Prompto became more high-pitched, giggly and was talking about everything and nothing with great enthusiasm, whilst Noctis collapsed often into deep, husky giggles and was feeling absurdly happy in the low light of the limo.

"Your suit looks so good...but it's gonna look so much better on my bedroom floor," the Prince said quite suddenly, as Prompto was taking a rare breath to fuel his excited chattering about being Prom King.

The blond's face, already flushed from the alcohol, instantly turned a deeper shade of red. He immediately stopped his rambling and turned toward Noctis. "Is that so?" the blond asked with a provocative grin, twirling a lock of the Prince's fine, dark hair around his finger. "Think you're gonna get lucky tonight, huh?"

Noctis huffed out a laugh, baring his teeth in a predatory grin, before bumping the tip of his nose against the freckled blond's in a dichotomous display of lust and sweet affection. "I __know__ it. You know what else I know? We're not gonna get any sleep. And that crown is the only thing you'll be wearing."

"Is that right?" snickered the blond, grabbing the Prince's tie and ghosting his lips over Noctis' teasingly, only to pull away each time Noct leaned forward in an attempt to capture a kiss. The action inspired a throaty groan from the Prince, which Prompto thoroughly enjoyed so he decided to continue. "Well then, it's a good thing I'm not tired," he whispered suggestively into Noct's ear.

He pressed himself against the Prince, releasing the tie and running his fingers through the back of raven tresses. Noctis grinned appreciatively and leaned forward, finally seizing the elusive kiss he so desired.

Silently thanking the Gods (or more precisely, the high-end car manufacturer) for the excessively roomy leather seats, plush and purple and princely, Noctis scooped one hand around to cradle his best friend's shoulder blades through his white suit jacket. He ushered him gently but firmly backwards and tried, without elegance or much success, to wordlessly persuade the wriggling, giggly blond to lay down, who was giving as good as he got and didn't seem to want to be dominated without a fight.

Recognizing that he was going to have to try harder, the Prince set down his empty Champagne glass, freeing his other hand to get lost in the blond's hair. He moved his lips downward across Prompto's jawline, licking and kissing and gently biting his way to an exposed earlobe. The blond quietly whimpered as the Prince discovered his weak spot, obliterating it with kisses and playful, teasing sucks.

"Mmm, you know that's not fair," Prompto sulked light-heartedly as he finally yielded to the Prince, falling backward onto the cool, leather seat.

"What can I say? You taste too good to resist," said Noct with a pleased smile.

"You know what...you're not half bad at this. I'd never guess you had __zero__ experience whatsoever," Prompto sniggered, sighing softly at the sharp nip to the vulnerable skin of his neck, and then grunting in displeasure as the Prince pulled away. "Ahh, make your mind up, dude. Either tease me or take me," the blond smirked, a kind of maleficent innocence in his eyes as he gazed up at his best friend from the relative luxury of the expensive leather seat.

"Don't mind if I do," the raven-haired teen grinned, staring down into expectant sapphire pools as he unfastened Prompto's bowtie and dropped it casually to the floor of the vehicle. "Tease you, I mean," Noct clarified, leaning forward to unfasten the collar of the blond's dress shirt. "You know, I've been waiting a long time for this. Kinda wanna take my time," he added, tracing a finger down Prompto's neck, leaving a trail of goose bumps across the pale, virgin skin he had just exposed.

"Well, who am I to refuse His Majesty?" Prompto asked, amused. He couldn't help but wonder, how long had Noctis been waiting exactly?

Suddenly needing to taste more of the blond's skin, Noct lowered his head and laid siege to Prompto's neck with an assault of wet kisses.

"Gods," the blond gasped, his fingers digging into the Prince's shoulders. Prompto had dreamed up this fantasy for years when he was alone at night in his bedroom, but now that it was actually coming true, there was no way to describe how much better it felt in real life. His body was quickly starting to react and his hips involuntarily jerked upward against Noctis' weight.

Prompto fought to keep his passion-weak eyelids open, keen to continue watching as Noctis' dark, soft hair bounced slightly with every insistent nuzzle and nip from the Prince's teeth. The drag of wet enamel and the random hint of slick, hot tongue was pumping eager blood between his legs and speeding his heart, and he licked his lips and swallowed hard. He could barely even begin to think about concentrating enough to reciprocate, merely squeezing his best friend's firm shoulders, cradling his neck, smoothing raggedly through his hair.

Noctis was fingering deliriously at the splayed fabric of his open collar, nuzzling and suckling upon the hard ridge of his collarbone, and the single-minded, almost insatiable attention was nearly enough to send him over the edge in a delightful agony of mess and pleasure. Closing his eyes, seeing the hazy ghost of the low, lilac strip lighting of the limousine on his eyelids, Prompto licked his lips once more, fighting to control his breath and find the words to get Noctis to postpone his ministrations.

Prompto was unable to find his voice that was lost behind the jagged breaths hitching across the back of his throat while Noctis continued to devour his pale, freckled skin. Suddenly, the limousine came to a halt, the Prince's audible groan of irritation signalling their arrival at his flat. He reluctantly withdrew his lips from Prompto's collarbone, and smirked at the bright red mark he had left behind. "Sorry, kinda felt like marking my territory."

" _ _Damn__ , Noct," Prompto wheezed, clearing his throat. His deep rosy blushes almost rivalled the strip lights for gentle illumination, and Noctis began to smile as his best friend adjusted his clothes, tried to sit up, and glanced down at his obvious erection with considerable anxiety, trying vaguely to cover it up with his hand.

It occurred to the Prince that he had the same conundrum, and he could even feel rogue filaments of his hair sticking up at odder angles than usual, manhandled out of place by the blond, whose pale throat and the top of his chest were already reddening with the assiduous attention he had relished there.

As the chauffeur's footsteps echoed ominously around the vehicle, the two teenagers scrambled back to their seats, straightening their collars and smoothing their chaotic hair, their flushed faces plastered with awkward grins all the while.

"Don't worry, you look great," the Prince reassured the blond who was struggling with his buttons, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't bother doing them back up," he snickered.

"Noct!" Prompto whined, his voice cracking with nervous excitement. He had just barely managed to collect his discarded bowtie and stuff it scandalously into his pocket before the door swung open.

"I hope you enjoyed the ride, your Highness," the elderly gentleman bowed professionally, gesturing for the couple to exit.

"Yeah, it was real nice. Thanks," the raven-haired teen said appreciatively, climbing out of the car.

"Um, y-yeah. Th- thanks a lot!" Prompto stuttered as he sprung from the vehicle, avoiding eye contact with the man. "Hope you don't mind if we take this with us," he mumbled quickly, nodding toward the open bottle of Champagne in his hand.

"Not at all. Please enjoy!" the chauffeur smiled and bid them goodnight.

"So… guess I'm staying over then?" the blond asked, his voice alluding to the slight nervousness that was setting in upon him like the cool night's breeze that rustled through his hair.

Noctis laughed gently and nuzzled his head warmly against Prompto's shoulder. "I surePN9 hope so. Now that we're boyfriends, I don't think I ever wanna let you go."

Prompto smiled happily, his heart swelling within his chest and his stomach doing somersaults. Yep, this was definitely the __best night ever__.


	10. Chapter 10

Prompto had visited Noct's sleek little apartment so many times that he was already taking the Champagne and delicate glasses through to the spotless kitchen (no doubt Iggy's handiwork) and placing them on the shadowy marble counter before the Prince had even turned the light on.

Noctis was inordinately fond of his own place, and whilst Prompto had initially been surprised at the compact nature of the flat, his best friend had assured him that this was preferable to him over a multi-storied citadel that seemed to be more full of empty rooms, wanting for intimacy and purpose, than anything else. Prompto had to agree that whilst the flat was diminutive, it was decked out with furniture and trimmings of the highest possible quality, prohibitively-expensive tech, and Noct's pride and joy, probably the most monolithic bed Prompto had ever seen. Noctis claimed that he spent most of his free time asleep, and therefore it made sense that he got the biggest and best bed for the job.

Now, the blond was turning to face the Prince, who had placed their newly-acquired crowns on the countertop and was grinning bashfully at him. Noct's hands were fidgeting in much the same way as his own.

"So, uh...here we are," Prompto shrugged, clearing his throat and scuffing his glossy red boot on the pristine kitchen floor, where his shy gaze was fixated.

"Yep… here we are." The Prince rubbed his neck nervously, attempting to massage out the tension that built the longer he stared at his expectant best friend and contemplated what to do next. Although he'd felt pretty cocky just minutes earlier in the back seat of the limousine, the change of atmosphere and the fact that they were now entirely alone with their new-found status as 'boyfriends' quickly clawed away at the Prince's thin skin of self-confidence. The sound of Prompto's fidgeting echoed through the quiet stillness of the open-concept apartment, and a shiver of anticipation travelled up Noctis' spine.

"Man, it's freezing," Noct murmured, shuffling his way into the adjoining living room to switch on the electric fireplace. The room instantly illuminated with a warm, orange glow as the Prince settled himself onto the plush, white sheepskin rug in front of the fire.

"How about you bring some of that over here?" Noctis asked, pointing vaguely in Prompto's direction, eyeing the bottle of Champagne even though it wasn't what he was really referring to.

Prompto nodded obediently, with a tight grin, and balanced the ice-wet bottle and the two flutes in his arms as he approached the fireplace. Setting the alcohol and glasses upon the hardwood floor, he self-consciously started unlacing his heavy red boots, chuckling as he finally pulled them off and crawled across the solid floor to slide them unobtrusively against the wall. Taking a deep breath, aware that this simple action might be the start of something he couldn't return from, he stood and turned off the kitchen light again, leaving the flickering fireplace as the sole source of light in the dark apartment.

Hearing Noctis remove his own shoes, the blond made his way semi-instinctively toward the eye-burning glow of the fireplace. The tension was eased exponentially when Prompto tripped on the edge of the thick, luscious rug, and muffled an ugly curse, stumbling forward onto the fur on his hands and knees.

"...So yeah, I hope you weren't expecting a lotta smooth moves," the blond laughed, breathless with embarrassment. He ran one nervous hand through his hair, messing it up even further, the gel settling it into ever more riotous shapes.

Noctis outstretched a hand to cup Prompto's burning cheek. "Don't worry. I already think you're perfect, just like this," the Prince chortled, tousling his best friend's unruly hair and pulling the blond into an affectionate embrace.

The sincere words softened Prompto and his body eased comfortably against Noctis'. As the flickering fire grew intense with heat, Prompto found himself savouring the Prince's scent which was laced with the mildest hints of sweat. The smell wasn't offending to the blond, but rather, strangely pleasing because of the closeness it signified. He had to admit, he might have been satisfied to stay like this all night if it weren't for the slow, suggestive way that Noctis was stroking his lower back. It was making his body grow eager with adolescent excitement.

Prompto took the liberty of readjusting himself, shifting his weight so that his knees were straddling the Prince. "Do you mind if I…?"

"Go right ahead," the Prince encouraged and looked on appreciatively as Prompto shrugged off his suit jacket.

"Ah, that's better. It's getting hot in here," Prompto said, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah. It sure is."

"So...I think it's your turn," Prompto huffed with gentle laughter, swallowing audibly at the mirrored, shy grin on Noct's face as the Prince eased off his own dark jacket with finesse, tossing it aside. The blond rested both of his hands on the Prince's angular cheeks, thumbing randomly at his porcelain-smooth skin, and communicating a few brief, tentative pecks to his mouth. Noct's fingers twitched, and he gasped as he realised his hands were already on Prompto's backside, squeezing rhythmically, without actually remembering having placed them there.

Experimentally, he rocked the lean blond on his lap, nipping at his bottom lip, and he revelled giddily in the gurgle of surprised pleasure with which he was rewarded. Prompto pulled back slightly, easing his hips away from his best friend, into whose firm stomach his own turgid erection had bumped.

"S-sorry..." Prompto murmured reactively, looking down between them in the heated gloom at their highly-comprising position, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Don't apologize. It's hot," Noctis commented with a slanted grin before his lips found their way back to the smooth, speckled skin beneath Prompto's jawline.

"Mmm," the blond whined, tilting his head back and enjoying the tickling sensation of Noctis' lips as they travelled up to his earlobe, leaving a trail of cooling wet saliva in their wake.

"You know," the Prince mumbled into Prompto's ear between kisses. "We don't have to…" He offered the blond a token escape route. Despite the fact that he had been fantasizing about this practically all through high school, he didn't want to make Prompto feel rushed or uncomfortable in any way. He cared too much about his best friend to let that happen. "I'm serious," he added, pausing and leaning backward to catch Prompto's gaze.

"No!" the blond replied quickly. "I mean," he added, resting his forehead gently against the Prince's and taking a deep breath. "I really want to… do this… with you," he finally said, forcing the words to cut through his embarrassment. He bravely took Noct's hands and planted them firmly onto his buttocks and buried his face in Noctis' neck, kissing him there to ensure there were no further doubts about what he wanted.

The Prince sighed in relief, and began directing the focus of his thoughts towards what was inevitably going to happen, one way or another. Prompto seemed to sense the unspoken tension as he tried to find the courage to express his next words, and was pulling back, uncertain, when Noctis cleared his throat. The husky caution in his voice was indescribably arousing, and with the shadows and heat around them, Prompto thought his best friend sounded almost feral.

"Listen, I know we kind of...always joked about this stuff. A lot of empty words," Noctis shrugged awkwardly, his hands smoothing upward from Prom's backside to affectionately rub his lower back, his palms rucking his expensive shirt, creating relaxing crinkly noises in the fire-brightened darkness. Prompto tried to concentrate when the Prince's long fingers unconsciously started to tug at the fabric, untucking it in tiny but momentous increments.

"But," Noctis continued, voice lowering. "In the interest of full disclosure...I've never done this. Anything even __remotely__ like it," he admitted, and his head tilted down in embarrassment, accompanied by a nervous sigh.

Prompto giggled softly as Noctis' fingertips slipped beneath the exposed hem of his shirt and traced a brave path up the small of his back. "Well, we __are__ best friends, dude," the blond stated with an endearing, lopsided smile, trying to ignore the delightful tickling sensation of the Prince's fingers grazing across his sensitive skin. "Do you honestly think I don't already know that? But don't worry. Just like everything else, I'm guessing we can figure this out together."

"Yeah. Guess so," replied Noct anxiously, still hiding behind his dark bangs.

"Hey, I know!" the blond announced, sitting back with enthusiastic determination. "Maybe a bit more of this will help!" he proclaimed, reaching for the Champagne and taking a swig straight from the bottle. "Here, you have some too," the blond instructed, taking another generous mouthful and then leaning forward to kiss Noctis. The Prince's lips parted willingly, allowing egress for the fizzy liquid to flow into his eagerly awaiting mouth.

Noctis managed to swallow before surrendering to chuckles, wiping his mouth of bittersweet liquid. "So __that's__ how it's going to be?" he asked, quirking a fine eyebrow underneath his long, silky fringe and grinning. "I'm kinda hungry, you know. Got something else to put in my mouth?" he asked, successfully deadpan, and remaining so even when Prompto's mouth fell open, his eyes sparkling with amusement and his freckles condensing on his merry cheeks.

"What?" asked the Prince facetiously, finally breaking decorum and letting out a slight chuckle.

"Dude, I can't believe you just said that!" Prompto cried as he gave the Prince a playful shove. "Although," he contemplated aloud, bringing a finger to his chin, "I'm pretty sure I could come up with something…"

Noctis wasted no time in taking the bottle from his friend and setting it aside so he could drag the blond back on top of him for another kiss, this one much deeper than those before and filled to the brim with need. The idea of having Prompto in his mouth had sent a new surge of blood to the Prince's already painfully hard erection and he greatly desired to get on with things before his best friend changed his mind.

"Let me...I..." Noctis mumbled, sighing at the self-imposed interruption of his speech as he smooched his best friend relentlessly, barely getting enough air to fuel his breathing. Anchoring one strong hand behind Prompto's back, the other thumbing roughly at his high cheekbone, the Prince urged him backwards onto the rug. He eased himself between the blond's legs and nervously rested the weight of his own excited hips there, growling in appreciation when he swallowed the strained whimper of his lover, a helpless reaction to their connected groins.

Moving his hands to Prompto's shirt, the Prince unfastened the buttons and slid the crisp fabric past the blond's shoulders to fully expose his pale, lean chest. Prompto pressed his lips wantonly up into Noctis' as he hoisted his weight off the rug to allow the Prince to hastily tug the shirt down over his arms. The blond eagerly attempted to wriggle free from the material, forgetting all about his cuff links until the fabric unknowingly became entangled and twisted about his wrists. He let out a frustrated groan while Noctis chuckled into their kiss and reluctantly withdrew, leaning back on his haunches to allow his friend to free himself.

"These seemed like a good idea at the time…" Prompto said with an exasperated smile while he removed the decorative, shiny metal clasps and cast the shirt aside. The Prince sat quietly for a moment, allowing his eyes to drink in the view of the flushed, half-naked blond before him as the fire danced flickering patterns of light across his smooth skin.

"You know, you don't have to stare," Prompto smiled self-consciously under the Prince's gaze.

Noct mindlessly traced a finger down the blond's chest, connecting the dots of Prompto's freckles. "I read once that these are angel kisses."

"Interesting...wonder what kind of mark a Prince's kiss would leave," Prompto mused, only half-jokingly.

Noctis raised an eyebrow, and then smirked. " _ _King__. Prom __King__ , remember," he laughed softly.

"Of course, your Majesty," the blond replied, placing a hand to his bare chest and bowing his head graciously, the supplicating effect somewhat dampened by his dazzling grin and throaty chuckle.

Noctis grinned back, meeting Prompto's eyes briefly before curling his hand and running the back of his knuckles down his best friend's face, his throat, the firm bumps of his clavicles in quiet exploration. "Apology accepted, __your Majesty,__ " the brunette teased back in husky tones. "Two Kings...what's that in poker?"

Prompto huffed a laugh. "Two losers, probably."

"Nah, I think it's 'cowboys.' ...Sounds pretty apt right now," Noctis murmured. He pushed his friend gently to lay back down on the thick rug, and eased his weight onto Prompto's lap. His legs astride the blond's strong thighs, he wriggled his heavy hips slowly, licking his pale lips in the drying heat of the fireplace behind them.

Prompto laid back and allowed himself to fully enjoy Noctis' weight atop his lap. It was a foreign but intensely pleasurable sensation, and when the Prince started grinding his hips ever so slightly against the blond's confined erection to create the sweetest friction between them, Prompto was helpless to restrain the deep sigh that escaped his lips.

"Sounds like someone needs out of these," mumbled Noct, moving to unbutton Prompto's pants.

"Not so fast, 'cowboy'," the blond teased, tugging at the Prince's tie. His nervous fingers fumbled to untie the silken material and pulled it free from the collar of Noctis' dove grey shirt. "I can't be the only one here that's half-dressed," he added with a grin.

Noctis raised an eyebrow, taking the soft silky tie from Prompto's hand and proceeding to trail the fine material across his best friend's bare chest, biting his lip in silent excitement as Prompto squirmed, his tiny grunts of breath catching in his throat, and his pale nipples pebbling enticingly. As barely-perceptible goosebumps formed across the lightly-freckled landscape of his sides and the blond's sighs became puffs of ticklish laughter, Noctis wordlessly took Prompto's hands and made him cross them gently on top of his own belly. Cautiously, and moving purposely slowly in order to fathom his friend's reactions, the Prince looped the fabric very loosely about his slim wrists, tying the slippery silk in a weak knot.

"...Is this okay? I just want you to watch for now," Noctis muttered in a raw voice.

Prompto tested the knotted bindings around his wrists, tugging at them gently but cautiously, so as not to break the delicate restraints. "Who would have thought that the Prince would be this kinky? Don't get me wrong though, I kinda like it," Prompto clarified with a devilish grin, his eyes turning back to Noctis whose face was cast in shadow beneath his tousled bangs.

Silently, the Prince began unbuttoning his own shirt, drawing forth an urgent throb of anticipation between the blond's legs. "Damn…" Prompto mumbled appreciatively, his eyes drinking in the view of perfection as the material parted to reveal Noctis' toned chest and abdomen. The sight made the blond's mouth water, while at the same time making him shrink a little in his own skin at the thought of his countless imperfections. It was just one more thing that made this whole giddying experience seem more like one of his private bedroom fantasies, not something that was actually happening.

Noctis removed his shirt and cast it aside, hesitantly moving his hands to hover over the blond's belt. "May I?" he asked nervously.

Prompto's dark blue eyes blinked in lazy acquiescence, and couldn't decide whether to watch, or avert his eyes, when Noct's strong fingers plucked at his buckle, the click of metal and the light budge of leather making them both shiver in anticipation. He settled for closing his eyes for long seconds, and then forcing them open to stare up at the shadowy ceiling. His hands fidgeted in their loose bonds with a need to distract himself as the Prince tapped him on the hip.

"Lift up," Noctis murmured, his guttural voice more breath than sound. Sparing a glance at his best friend, hoping he didn't look as mortified as he felt at the intense attention, Prompto gulped and raised his hips, allowing his trousers to be shucked down with rapid movements.

The blond whined faintly at the release of pressure on his erection, and he was vaguely aware of the Prince mirroring the noise, immediately placing one pale hand on the damp white fabric of his boxer briefs and palming the material in blatant desire. The spot of fabric at the head of his penis was hot, soaked and slippery with excitement. Prompto could smell the warm musk of his own arousal, and rolled his eyes closed in embarrassment as he heard Noctis swallow noisily a few times, no doubt tasting him in the air.

Noctis' fingers slipped beneath the waistband of Prompto's briefs and lingered there a moment, sweeping tentatively back and forth between the elastic and the lean contour of Prompto's lower abdomen. The touch was intended to delightfully tickle and deliberately tease, of which it did both, and it wasn't long before Prompto was writhing under each stroke of the Prince's fingertips and pulling against the bindings around his wrists as his muscles clenched in an attempt to maintain composure. "Noct-," the blond pleaded through throaty gasps, although he himself wasn't entirely sure if he was asking for Noctis to stop, or to continue.

With a satisfied huff, the Prince finally ceased his teasing and dared to slide the thin material down past his best friend's narrow hips. Prompto let out a gratified sigh as his hot, swollen shaft was freed to the cool, open air. Slipping the briefs the rest of the way down, the Prince peeled away the blond's socks at the same time, leaving Prompto completely naked before him.

Sitting back on his haunches, Noct took a moment to admire the blond's more than adequate length, of which he quickly realized was slightly bigger than his own.

"Damn, Prom," Noctis muttered, clearing his throat, putting the knuckle of his thumb in his mouth and nibbling on it conscientiously as he stared.

Prompto whined at the impenetrable look on the Prince's face, and moved his bound hands down to cover himself, totally unused to being looked at like this, and certainly not by the best friend he was hopelessly infatuated with. "Cut it out, Noct," he griped, frowning and pouting.

Noct batted away the hands that were cradling Prompto's impressive arousal and grunted in surprise and delight when a thin, clear strand of pre-come trailed away from the dark tip on the blond's palm. Prompto was still fretting to himself when Noctis picked up his hand easily, and licked the bittersweet tang into his mouth, meeting his eyes and sucking overtly at his sticky palm.

"G-Gods," the blond choked, nearly aspirating on his shock, shivering despite the raucous heat of the fire nearby. Before he could say anything else, Noctis had crashed down upon him again, grinding gently, and delivering hard, biting kisses. Prompto sweltered in the ministrations, kissing back as fervently as he could, and then gasped out a gusty exhale, raising his voice huskily.

"Untie me Noct, I wanna touch you," he pleaded, nudging his hands hopefully against Noct's bare chest.

The Prince licked his reddened lips and shook his head, his messy dark spikes bouncing in his eyes.

"Not yet. Wanna show you something."

Prompto managed a laugh. "If you're trying to tell me that you're secretly a girl, I __really__ don't believe you," he grinned, gesturing with his bound hands at the rock-solid tent at Noct's crotch.

"Trust me, that's definitely not it," Noct mumbled, grinding himself against Prompto once more for good measure before hoisting himself up and leaving his tethered companion alone amidst the expanse of white fleece. The Prince stood at Prompto's feet long enough to enjoy the view of the naked blond laying completely vulnerable on his living room floor. The brunette hastily adjusted the bulge pressing against the front of his constrictive dress pants and then quickly disappeared into his bedroom while Prompto nervously called after him. "Ummm. Hey, dude! Don't tell me you're just gonna leave me like this!"

"Just a sec," the Prince called out from what sounded like miles away. Prompto had already grown such a keen liking for his newfound intimacy with Noct that even though there was only one wall between them, he found himself shifting uncomfortably from the cold chill the distance had created. As the seconds ticked by, Prompto strained to hear whatever it was Noctis was doing as he shuffled about in the darkness of the adjoining room. There was a rustling of fabric and the sound of a few drawers opening and closing. The blond contemplated untying himself, but before he had the chance to undo the loose knots, the Prince returned, wearing only a pair of red silk boxers and concealing something discreetly in his hand.

"Really?" questioned the blond, pointing at the bright yellow chocobo insignia on the front of Noctis' flashy underwear. "Yet, you made fun of mine that time before!?" Prompto quipped irritably.

"I got 'em cause… well, they kinda reminded me of you," the Prince murmured almost inaudibly, shifting his slightly embarrassed gaze toward the fire.

"Well, I likes!" the blond chirped cheerfully at the idea of Noctis thinking about him while picking out underwear. Prompto seriously couldn't wipe the grin off of his face if he tried.

"I think I've got something else you are gonna like," Noct commented as he nestled down onto the soft rug and shimmied up between Prompto's thighs. With a grin, the Prince used his thumb to pop open the plastic cap of a small, pink bottle.

Prompto's eyes grew wide at the inscription on the label.

 _ _Edible Cherry Astral Slide__


	11. Chapter 11

"Where...where d'ya even get that?" Prompto asked, his fair eyebrows quirked in an odd expression of awe and doubt.

"Well," Noct muttered conspiratorially, lowering his voice to an impossibly low, and irresistible, octave. "There's this magical place where you can trade money for goods. And then the goods appear at your place of residence. It's called The Internet. But it's a well-kept royal secret, so don't tell anyone."

The blond tutted, rolling his eyes affectionately. "Jerk. I hope you know how to use it," he grinned, though Noctis could clearly detect, through long experience, the dark pulse of anxiety in his best friend's cobalt eyes.

"I have some ideas," the Prince shrugged confidently. He wasn't entirely lying. He had spent a borderline-excessive amount of time researching what he felt was a suitable mixture of educational, wordy resources and forums, and the more visual media of pornography in case he and Prompto ever, finally, ended up in this exact situation. In his bed, under the covers, he had pored over reams of information, even at the expense of nap-time. More often than not, he had found it necessary to finish the session with a little physical release, having found himself helplessly turned on not just by the subject matter, but the idea of applying it to himself and Prompto.

Noctis tipped the bottle and squeezed a few droplets of the clear, sweet-smelling liquid into his palm. Replacing the cap and setting the container aside, his fingers tentatively wrapped around the blond's shaft, which still impressively stood at full attention for His Majesty. Noct locked eyes with his best friend, his hand hovering lightly around the engorged member. Prompto picked up on the subtle cue and nodded gently, giving Noct permission to proceed.

The Prince swallowed back the torrent of saliva accumulating in his mouth and dared to grasp tighter around Prompto's length, giving it a few slow, experimental strokes to spread the slippery fluid over the hot, delicate skin.

"Uhhh," Prompto groaned loudly, his eyes rolling backward as his head involuntarily fell with a muted thud against the fleecy mat. The reaction instantly roused a deep-seated, tingling sensation within the Prince's groin, a sudden eruption of pre-come wetting the silk fabric of his boxers.

"Fuck," the Prince swore quietly under his breath as he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his free hand. All the porn in Insomnia couldn't have prepared him for how hot this was.

Prompto raised his head and stared at Noct through the thick clouds of desire that blanketed his vision. "You too," the blond commanded, tugging at the Prince's soaked boxer shorts. "Untie me?"

Noct granted him a short nod of permission, and reactively smoothed away his long, silver-black fringe from his eyes, accidentally smearing lube into it. His companion's bubbly chuckle ruined the pout he tried to maintain as he tutted at his now-sticky hair.

"Classy," the blond told him, snickering with laughter.

Casting a brief warning gaze at his best friend, Noctis leaned forward and successfully shushed him with a firm, impassioned kiss. Sitting back again, he licked his lips, dry from the heat of the crackling fireplace, and deftly untied Prompto's wrists. The blond stretched his fingers as if he had been manacled in heavy handcuffs, rather that the softest of silks. Raising his hands immediately to rest on the warm, soft skin above the waistband of Noctis' underwear, Prompto smoothed lovingly around to the base of the Prince's spine, feeling the bumps of his vertebrae, and the plump flesh of his backside. Running his hands up, exploring, the blond's sensitive fingertips soon detected shapes of oddly tender, almost damp-feeling skin, slightly textured and raised.

Noctis flinched, and cleared his throat minutely.

"Sorry," Prompto apologised anxiously, moving his hands back down to the relative safety of Noct's buttocks. "Is that your..."

"Yeah," Noct affirmed vaguely, giving him a small smile. "I'll let you see properly later. If you want." Prompto saw through the Prince's apparent nonchalant façade easily. He himself was well-versed in such blasé dismissal of personal issues that were actually deeply unsettling. He had caught glimpses of Noct's childhood scars before (despite the Prince's assiduous yet subtle efforts to hide them), just eye-catching peeks of pinkish-red stripes as the Prince changed for their gym class, or got into his sleepwear when they stayed over at one another's place. The first time he had seen them, he had been startled, and to this day he felt guilty about Noctis catching him staring. He had very soon, however, added those marks to his own list of reasons why he had to do his utmost to protect Noctis as best as he could from anything that might feasibly hurt him.

"If you want," Prompto agreed, smiling softly, before Noctis took hold of his slippery shaft again, fisting it slowly into an almost painful rigidity. The Prince, still not naked, watched each pump of his own hand as a whitish border of lubricant and pre-come gathered at the crest of his fist on the way up, squelching quietly.

"Gods," the blond seethed, entangling his fingers through stormy, raven locks and pulling Noctis over top of him once more so that their tongues could clash impetuously. "Let's do it… together," he breathed into the Prince's mouth between kisses.

Prompto tried his best to concentrate on removing the last article of clothing that separated their bodies. He tucked his thumbs beneath the elastic band and swiftly pushed the Prince's boxers down over his smooth buttocks. Noct lifted himself slightly, to allow Prompto to shove the garment down a little further and hook the fabric with his foot to force it the rest of the way off.

"Happy?" the Prince asked his best friend.

"Very." Prompto grinned smugly before blindly reaching between them to seek out Noctis' rock-hard arousal, which he could feel dripping against him. He grasped the Prince's full girth and slid it blissfully against his own. Their eyes locked as their foreheads came to rest against one another.

"Damn Noct, that feels incredible."

"Prompto…" Noct murmured, biting at his lower lip as he relinquished control to the blond. Prompto carefully wrapped his fingers around both of their lengths and started stroking them together. The tantalizingly slick sound and heady scent of their sex surrounded them as ripples of pleasure radiated outward across their inexperienced teenage bodies with every stroke.

"Prom-" the Prince's voice died at the back of his throat as he battled the familiar tingling sensation building within him that indicated he was treading dangerously close to the edge. "Prompto, slow down," the Prince warned as his muscles tensed. It felt so hot. So slippery. So good. And Prompto wasn't stopping.

"Prompto!" Noct shouted urgently, grabbing the blond's wrist. But it was too late. He had passed his tipping point and his body convulsed into sudden and irreversible orgasm, hot ropes of semen decorating Prompto's stomach and chest.

The blond flinched with surprise, swallowing noisily as Noctis' face grimaced, his teeth gritted against the sharp and shallow climax. The Prince bucked his heavy hips hard and thoughtlessly for relief, his deep, husky voice sounding out in anguished groans.

Prompto's hand had loosened when he was startled by the hot, musky liquid squirting against his skin, but he had dutifully kept pumping Noct through his orgasm, making sure to work him to completion. When Noct's hand tightened harder on his as he became over-sensitised, he stopped completely, just holding the twitching and reddened shaft comfortingly.

The brunette was sucking in sharp and wet-sounding breaths, his eyes down and his face scarlet with embarrassment, and his dark hair damp-looking in the searing firelight. He made to try and wipe away the lukewarm seed glistening on his best friend's pale chest, obscuring his freckles, but seemed to lose heart and merely let his hand drop self-consciously.

"Look, I...shit, I didn't mean to," Noct muttered. "I wasn't, uh..." he trailed off, clearing his throat and looking abjectly mortified.

"Dude, that was totally hot," the blond stated with a grin, playing idly with the Prince's come, drawing circles in the thick gobs of white fluid and watching intently at the way it stretched between his fingers whenever he spread them apart. He wanted so badly to taste it, but wasn't sure that would be the best move given the way Noct was mental tucking himself quietly away into a microcosm of guilt and paranoia.

"Sorry," the Prince continued to apologize, looking around for something to clean up his mess.

"S'ok." Prompto smiled to reassure his fretful partner. However, seeing the furrow in Noctis' brow only grow deeper, the blond decided to try a different tactic. "See, I like it," he declared proudly, sweeping two of his wet fingers into his mouth for a taste. "Mmm, cherry!"

Noct pulled a face at him, hesitant, before allowing himself to release a short, fond laugh, grateful for the levity. "Dork," he told the blond, grinning wryly. He waited for Prompto to give in and wince, pull some sort of face to illustrate his distaste at the musky liquid in his mouth, but he merely gifted him with his thousand-watt smile and a high-pitched chuckle.

"I'm gonna make it up to you," The Prince promised, nodding to himself in silent commitment. He lay down upon his partner once more, cupping his freckled face and briefly admiring his pixie-like features with mute adoration. He pressed a slow, searching kiss to Prompto's mouth, revelling when the blond's fingers clenched against his bare shoulder blades, and his tongue eagerly tried to coax deeper, faster, kisses from the brunette.

His own sense of erotic urgency abated for now, Noctis enjoyed Prompto's minute whines of need for a while, and then began to leave kisses in a haphazard, damp map across his sharp collarbones, down his warm sternum, onto the smooth plane of his stomach, assiduously avoiding the drying spurts of his own release.

When Noctis, moving ever downwards, sensed the insistent heat and hard weight of the blond's erection near his face, he cleared his throat and shifted next to it, taking it in hand and eyeing it with no small degree of anticipation. Steeling himself, he licked a quick trail along the vein that pulsed rapidly, up to the slightly sour-tasting head that glistened in the glow of the fire.

"Agh...Gods," Noctis heard above him, as his best friend's hands flexed on the thick rug and his own twitching abdomen respectively. "Y'don't have to," Prompto muttered, throwing one forearm over his eyes, the bump of his Adam's apple bobbing with excitement.

"I know, but I want to," Noctis stated matter-of-factly, squeezing his best friend's shaft and eyeing the shiny bead of precum that trickled anew from its tip. He could feel the blond's heartbeat pulsing within his grip and when he tightened his grasp a second time, Prompto's hips involuntarily bucked up into his fist, seeking more of the delightful friction.

"Mmm, Noct…" the blond hummed, a mix of embarrassment and anticipation.

Finally, Noctis took the head of Prompto's cock between his lips and ran his tongue along the underside, exploring the subtle ripples in the delicate flesh. The action inspired a satisfying, throaty groan from his companion so Noct decided to keep going. Taking more of Prompto's length into his mouth, he attempted to swirl his tongue around the tip, accidentally making an obscene, wet slurping noise as he sucked to taste all of Prompto's flavour.

Noct was frankly surprised when the expected snort of mood-killing laughter didn't happen; in fact nothing in Prompto's demeanour suggested anything except complete pleasure. The blond's strong, slim hands both settled in his hair, scratching feebly at his head, and the buzz of sensation in his scalp as his hair was pulled made Noctis shiver in the heat of the room.

Prompto was hot and slick and unrelentingly hard in his mouth. The Prince was taken aback by the size of his best friend once he actually had his lips around him, having to crack wide his jaw and try and avoid scraping him with his teeth whilst figuring out how to use his tongue at the same time. He was eager, impatient even, to master this as quickly as possible and show Prompto a good time, in spite of his own total lack of experience. Though the burn in his jaw muscles and the saliva escaping his lips only highlighted Noctis' amateurism, the gulping noises and the awkward rhythm made the blond keen and writhe in bliss.

His eyes watering and the back of his throat already a little sore as the plump head of Prompto's cock kept threatening to hit it with every helpless push of his hips, Noctis glanced up and saw the tantalising undulations of his best friend's lean stomach, watching excited muscles clench and pulse, feeling needy hands grapple into his hair. Swallowing, and sucking as hard as he dared upon the crown of Prompto's red-hot shaft, pumping his fist faster with a frantic slippery sound, Noctis silently prayed that his partner would soon reach his climax.

His heart thudded in anticipation and his skin prickled with sudden thrill as the blond's voice cracked out hoarsely, damp fingertips rummaging roughly into his dark mane. Sharp, guttural wheezes of breath punctuated the blond's pleading words.

"Noct...Noct! I'm...close, but..."

Releasing Prompto from his mouth with a pop that echoed through the still living room, the Prince looked up questioningly at his friend. "But what?" he asked, leaning his head to one side and slowing his motions down to long, purposeful strokes.

"I... I c-can't," stuttered Prompto, his elfin features scrunched in concentration while his abdominal muscles flexed and wriggled in response to Noctis' every movement.

"Okay, well then, let me know what to do so that you can?" Noct inquired, genuinely eager to learn how best to please his partner. Slowly, the Prince released his grip and placed Prompto's own hand around the burning hot shaft, encouraging him to demonstrate exactly how he liked to get off.

"No, that's not it," frowned Prompto, hiding his face behind the back of his free arm to conceal his embarrassment.

"What is it then, Prom?" asked Noct, his voice becoming laced with worry. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just, you know… Because it's kinda like, gross and all. And well, if I do… then maybe you won't like it… or me anymore." As Prompto spouted his muffled, semi-coherent doubts and insecurities, Noctis' expression of concern quickly morphed into a relieved smile.

"Is that all it is? Jeez, you seriously had me worried there," the Prince chuckled. "Gods Prom, you've got nothing to be afraid of. Trust me. I can't wait to make you feel good. And I bet you taste awesome. Cause you do so far," he added with a wry grin.

"For real?" Prompto asked, peeking out nervously from behind his arm. "You seriously can't mean that."

"I seriously can," Noctis murmured, before suckling again at the head of Prompto's cock, taking a pleasure in it that surprised him. The bulbous, warm flesh was almost comforting to have in his mouth, and he sucked enjoyably, eyes half-closed as he felt the blond's hand hesitantly pump at himself, bumping him gently and repeatedly on the chin, and he tried not to grin, afraid of accidentally biting down.

After several minutes and a few false alarms where Noctis had been certain that Prompto was about to come, down to the violent shivers in his body and the high-pitched rasp of his breath, he was again braced to receive his friend's long-awaited climax but it seemed to ebb away once more. Prompto groaned loudly in sheer frustration and embarrassment. As Noctis pulled back, rubbing at his jaw as subtly as possible, he glanced to his partner's face and was pained to see him on the verge of tears, face contorted in exasperation.

"Maybe, we could move somewhere else? I could do whatever you want?" Noctis suggested, uncertain as to what exactly was stopping Prompto easing over the edge. The blond trembled and sobbed now, looking exhausted.

"Noct, Gods, I'm so sorry. I dunno man, it's...you're like, __right__ there," Prompto shrugged, gesturing vaguely between his legs. "Maybe if we...kissed, and you weren't so...close?" he asked, immediately wincing. "Ah, I mean -"

"I know what you mean," Noct nodded, smirking. He sat back, fighting a groan as his joints ached from laying on the floor so long, his elbows sore and tongue nearly numb. Prompto sat up too, his face bright red and his eyes shameful. He cast a despondent gaze towards the Prince, and his expression immediately brightened in surprise and relief when he saw Noct's erection, not quite full-mast but certainly getting there.

"You're hard?!" Prompto asked him in disbelief, despite the clear evidence to the affirmative.

The brunette rolled his eyes, licking his dry lips. "You're squirming naked on my floor, moaning and sweating and sexy as hell. Of course I'm hard."

Prompto heaved a sigh of relief and glanced subtly toward Noctis' bedroom, longing for the softness of the Prince's oversized, luxurious bed and figuring that maybe he would have better luck in there, under the cloak of near darkness.

"Wanna go to my room?"

"Um… yeah," the blond smiled. He sat up and rubbed the knot that had amassed in his lower back. "There you go again, practically reading my mind!"

"Hey, what are best friends for?" Noct grinned and eagerly jumped up, extending a hand to his partner. Prompto laced fingers with the Prince as Noct discreetly scooped up the bottle of lube and tucked it into his fist. They quietly plodded barefoot, hand-in-hand across the hardwood to the Prince's bedroom where only a single sliver of moonlight shone through a crack in the curtains. At the foot of the four-post, king-size bed, the blond jumped eagerly onto the down duvet and climbed up to the pillows, laying back with his hands beneath his head. "Wow, can't believe I get to test out the royal bed!"

"At long last," Noctis breathed gratefully, and before an inquisitive-looking Prompto could question him, the Prince grinned and crawled over him, giving him a quick, messy smooch, made awkward and affectionate with chuckles from both teens. Almost instantaneously, the prior fire was rekindled with vigour, the quick and gasping kisses growing harder, urgent. Noctis bared his teeth in sheer thrill at the dagger of moonlight highlighting Prompto's pale face and bright eyes, now heavy and focussed with pleasure.

The Prince bit down at Prompto's mouth, and grunted in surprise when the blond responded immediately with a fiendish nip, pushing one hand into Noct's thick hair and squeezing his fingers together tightly, pulling a sharp cry of pleasure from his partner at the same time he was pulling excitingly at the roots of his tresses.

"Yeah, you definitely gotta kink," Prompto murmured, in the dimness, his voice uncharacteristically low.

"And I'm gonna find yours," Noctis muttered in retaliation, seizing Prom's lips in a hard kiss and claiming a loud whine of need, swallowing it down eagerly. His arms were pale and lean but deceptively strong from routine training with weighty blades and hefty wooden weapons. Now they caged the blond and rummaged blindly to find his wrists and pin them to either side of his head, crushing them into the mattress.

Prompto panted, swallowing, gave a token wriggle of resistance against his imprisonment, and then smirked. His usual elfin features turned into something smug and almost malicious, and before Noct knew what was happening, the powerful, hard muscles of Prompto's legs, toned from years of dedicated running, rose and hooked his waist, squeezing the air out of him in a sudden huff.

In the interim, Prompto wrenched his hands free, grappled Noct's shoulders and flipped him over in a dizzying, indescribably erotic move. Breathless, the Prince found himself on his back, silver stars buzzing at the edge of his vision, and the blond sitting on his lap looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

The blond smirked coolly, proud of his accomplishment. He pressed Noctis' wrists into the soft bedding and leaned over him to enjoy a close up of the Prince's blue eyes, still dazed with surprise by the sudden turn of events. Instead of kissing the brunette pinned between his muscular thighs, Prompto lined himself up with Noctis and pressed slowly against the Prince's now full arousal with his own.

Noctis gave a predatory groan, grinding up against Prompto in response.

"Seems like this could be it," whispered the blond, his voice low, faltering with the growing friction between them as he rocked his hips seductively slow to generate just the right amount of pressure to create that hot, tingly sensation at the head of his shaft as it slipped over Noctis'. The mattress creaked as Prompto arched his back and continued to grind himself against the Prince's lap, his movements first slow and deliberate, quickly picking up pace as he desperately sought out his pleasure.

"Gods Prom, you're so fucking hot," grumbled Noct, freeing his hands to grab a hold of Prompto's backside. Fingers digging into the supple yet firm flesh, he forced Prompto's hips to continue rutting against him long after the blond's head had dipped and his breathing had become ragged.

The rapid squeak of the king-sized mattress grew exponentially louder in the dark as the two lithe figures bucked harder, gracelessly. Noctis growled, his face almost aching with the effort of the expression of pained pleasure on it, and Prompto keened and gasped short, high-pitched breaths as he began to tremor tellingly, his weight jerking upon Noct's lap.

The Prince licked his lips repeatedly, pressing his fingers harder into Prompto's backside, leaving half-moon dents with his short fingernails. As the delirium of his excitement clouded his mind, he huffed a manic laugh and spread the blond's cheeks apart teasingly.

"Shit, I can't wait to fuck you," he hissed, violet eyes wide and bright in the gloom.

Prompto made a coughing sort of sound, then groaned out a long whine, his face contorted painfully. He threw his head back hard enough to make his neck crick, and a delightful, never-before-seen expression of total shock and pleasure seemed to literally wash over his face, his features twitching and flushing minutely in the weak light.

Noctis grunted in response, sighing breathlessly when spurts of hot, creamy liquid dashed in stretched puddles across his own trembling torso.

The intoxicating scent of Prompto's essence quickly filled the Prince's nostrils. The warm fluid trickled a wet path down the edge of Noctis' abdomen as the blond collapsed in a breathless pile of limbs, limp and shaky from the throes of pleasure. Noct collected a fist full of damp blond hair and brought their mouths together in a clumsy kiss that ended up being more of an uncoordinated smashing of lips and tongues, and noses.

Prompto finally opened his lazy eyes, his vision clouded behind blown-out pupils. "Mmm Noct… That was…" he mumbled incoherently, unable to finish before the Prince once again pressed their mouths together, greedily stealing another kiss.

"Hot?" questioned the raven-haired teen, grinning against Prompto's lips. "Yeah, I know."

"Oh man...I can't move," Prompto chuckled, resting his head against Noctis' damp chest with an exaggerated groan of exhaustion. Noct attempted to give him a gentle nudge to stop him laying in his own lukewarm seed, but the blond seemed to neither notice nor care.

"So...uh," Noctis asked quietly, clearing his throat after a few minutes of Prompto steaming gently in lassitude. His own straining erection was beginning to pulse and ache with the animal urge to release, and the pressure of his best friend's weight against it wasn't easing his discomfort.

"Oh shit, yeah," Prompto wheezed, sitting up with a click of some joints, and he stretched quickly. Glancing down at the subdued glisten of his drying semen upon Noct's chest and belly, barely highlighted in the knife of moonlight, he bit down on his bottom lip with innocent concentration. The Prince fought not with squirm at the sight of the tantalisingly-sweet expression on the blond's elfin features.

"I guess...wow, I guess it's time for the main event, huh?" Prompto asked with a silly grin, his voice becoming minutely, but notably, higher-pitched and tight.

Noctis' cock pressed upward into Prompto's thigh, coursing with an eager readiness to continue and a desire to explore the uncharted territory between the blond's legs.

"Guess that's a yes," quipped Prompto, taking Noct's swollen, red-hot member into his hand and swallowing back the bubbling anxiety he felt as he fully comprehended its girth and wondered how it would ever fit.

Noct could practically feel the nervous expression on Prompto's face through the darkness. "Don't worry, I think this'll help," the Prince said reassuringly, taking up the bottle of lube he had formerly abandoned on the nightstand. He set Prompto gently onto the bed. "Just try and get comfortable, okay?"

"On my...on my back? On the websites it said that it's better if...ah, you know what, never mind," Prompto muttered, rubbing his face in embarrassment.

Noctis let out a husky laugh at the idea of his best friend trawling the same amateur gay sex forums that he had. "This will work, I think," he shrugged, pulling one of the plump black pillows from beside the blond and tucking it snugly under his hips after some manoeuvring in the gloom.  
The sight of his friend's wide-eyed and slightly fearful expression was absurdly arousing, and the Prince cleared his throat after letting out a faint, feral noise of appreciation.

"Is this okay? Then we can kiss and stuff. Hopefully," Noctis added thoughtfully, scratching his head as he tried to estimate the logistics of their bodies once they got down to business.

"Never better!" Prompto managed, laughing nervously and looking down at himself and his odd position uncertainly.

"Think of it like...your running," Noctis suggested, a spark of inspiration hitting him. "You gotta take the first step in order to finish the race. And it gets easier as it goes on."

There was a brief vacuum of silence, before Prompto replied evenly. "Dude, you are not trying to compare my jogging with having a goddamn dick up my ass," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Noctis let out a sweet, sharp laugh, giving his best friend an affectionate slap on the thigh. "I'm just trying to get you to relax, dork."

"Well, this position is kinda embarrassing, so maybe you should just get on with it," Prompto said, tossing one of the small decorative pillows at his friend. They both laughed as the cushion bounced off Noctis' head onto the floor.

"Hey! I thought we were friends?" the Prince scowled.

"Boyfriends," the blond clarified playfully.

"That's right, and don't you forget it," Noct replied with an impish grin. "Okay, well let's start with this first," he stated, his tone quickly turning serious. The Prince spread Prompto's legs to permit better access and caressed the blond's inner thigh reassuringly to ease his tension. "Just try to relax," Noct directed, massaging Prompto's leg muscles. "Let me know if it hurts at all and we can stop, okay?"

The blond gave a nervous nod, illuminated only by the sliver of light that cut through the darkness. But it was enough for the Prince to press onward. He poured a generous amount of the sweet-smelling, clear liquid onto his fingers and carefully ran them up and down over the blond's entrance. The whimper that escaped before Prompto had a chance to stuff the back of his hand into his mouth was reward enough for Noct to keep going. Prodding daringly at the pink knot of muscle, Noct slipped the tip of his index finger inside the tight cavity.

Prompto, ever vocal and yet ever shy, eased out a harsh sigh, all breath and no noise. He bit down harder on the freckled skin of his own right hand, and squeezed his eyes shut tight, unable to face the expression of arousal, expectation and concern that he could practically hear radiating from his best friend in the gloom, a pulse of complex affection that was as distinct as his own thundering heartbeat.

"Hey…hey, everything okay? Talk to me," Noctis panted, clearing his throat roughly as his finger trembled inside his best friend, his own erection screaming at him with red-hot throbs and twitches to get on with it. "You, uh…feel so…hot. Tight. Shit, Prom," the Prince uttered in croaky disbelief, and Prompto really didn't feel he could cope with Noct's unfounded awe at the simple knowledge that he was a human being – just blood and muscles and heat. Nothing special, right?

"Prom?"

"Yeah, yeah! Fine!" the blond exclaimed with laudable brightness and humour, though his ribcage felt like it might shatter with the force of his terrified heart. He laughed awkwardly, seeing the familiar no-nonsense glare of his best friend, muted now as it was with lust. "I mean, yeah, it feels a bit…alien, you know? But it's cool, it's fine. Onwards and upwards, right?" he chuckled nervously, flashing his most ingratiating, but weakening, grin.

"Okay," Noctis said with quiet determination, readjusting his sweat-dampened hand against Prompto's thigh and giving his friend a gentle squeeze of reassurance before slowly pressing himself knuckle-deep into the blond. Although anticipated, Prompto still squirmed at the intrusion and bore down his muscles around the digit, unable to get used to the foreign sensation.

"Hey. You gotta relax a little more," the Prince mumbled quietly. He leaned down to place a wet kiss upon Prompto's trembling knee. "Don't worry. I got you."

"Yeah, I know," Prompto muttered, wiping his forehead free of sweat with the back of his hand.

Noct carefully slid his finger back and forth against the twitching walls of Prompto's insides, working the lubricant in as best he could. It was clear that Prompto was going to need a lot more prep if this was ever going to work. The Prince wondered how it could look so easy in all those videos he'd watched...

"I've…thought about this a lot, you know and I...kinda know what to expect...I think I'll be alright?" the blond offered hopefully, and Noctis couldn't decipher whether the anguish creasing his best friend's face as sore pleasure, or outright pain.

"You gotta tell me if it feels bad. I swear, if I hurt you I'll never forgive myself. Promise?"

"Promise," Prompto swore, and nodded with the same false confidence he had offered when his adoptive parents had asked whether he was eating properly. He gasped reflexively as Noctis probed further, harder. A grim thought swelled into his consciousness as he felt the unnatural slick that the lubrication was lending to his passage. Perhaps Noct was pressing too hard, and he was bleeding?

"Shit, Noct…I…ah…"

"S'okay. Tell me. Anything." Noctis soothed his best friend, using his free hand to molest the blond hair that was crisp and crinkled with gel and heat.

"Could ya…touch me a bit? Think I need it," Prompto asked sheepishly.

Noctis was quick to respond to the request, fearful of the consequences if he was unable to make this experience pleasurable for his friend. The raven-haired teen eagerly picked up Prompto's flaccid cock and stroked it in time with his finger as he continued to stretch the blond's passage.

"Like this?" Noctis asked, voice hitching as he gnawed at his bottom lip and tried his best to ignore the throbbing ache between his own legs.

"Yeah, I… think so…"

Prompto strained to focus on the Prince's fingers around him and the pleasing distraction they offered from the prodding sensation of intrusion while Noct continued to ready him. The blond's member slowly twitched to life beneath the Prince's grip.

"Hey, I wanna try something," the Prince offered. He extracted his finger and pushed upward against the undersides of Prompto's legs, fully exposing his rear.

"Uhh, hey… wait! Noct! What are you…" the blond's high-pitched voice shrieked with both confusion and embarrassed panic. But all thoughts he had, along with any words he was about to say, instantly melted the moment Noctis' velvety soft tongue made contact with his sensitized entrance and started lapping circles at the delicate skin.

"Gods' sake, stop, Noct!" Prompto seethed, his face suddenly darkening with a raw alarm and his raised thighs shivering under Noct's damp hands.

"Is it bad? I'll stop. I'm sorry," the Prince urged, sitting back and feeling the compulsion to lick his lips.

"No, it's not…not __bad__ , but I…I can't make you do that. No __way__ , dude. It's totally not right." Prompto let his legs fall under the weakening pressure of his best friend's hands. "Don't be a martyr," the blond finished in a cracked murmur.

"It's fine, I want to, you know. Well, I mean, if it makes you feel good," the Prince asserted.

"Why don't we try it now?" the blond suggested, cheeks ablaze in the darkness as he eyed Noctis' raging hard on.

"Kay…I got this. And Prom, you don't need to worry. I know your brain's full of…sub-plotting as usual. But we're buddies, and we're…now we're…" Noctis failed to enunciate , merely clearing his throat and giving his own hair a rough scratch. Prompto was at a similar loss for words, panting noisily and flexing his fingers in agitation at a subject they were teetering on the edge of articulating into words.

The blond suddenly raised his fist, and when Noctis just stared at it in bafflement, Prompto shook it demonstratively. Laughing at the realisation, he raised his own fist to return the gesture, bumping it gently against his best friend's.

"All good?" Noct asked.

"All good," Prompto chuckled in agreement. "Now get back to work," he winked, trying his luck with a staged, gravelly drawl.

"That an order? To a Prince? You got some spunk, civilian," the brunette replied, mirroring his partner's tone, creaking out his signature husky growl even as he moved back down to Prompto's upper thighs, gnawing and suckling randomly upon lightly-freckled skin.

"Civilian? Not tonight. Tonight I'm Prom King," Prompto giggled through his sighs of awed pleasure.

"Better give me your orders then, King Prompto Argentum," muffled the Prince through his assault of sultry kisses.

"Hmph! If you're trying to get me to say 'Put it in', it's not gonna happen dude!" Prompto sniggered.

"Oh, but I'm pretty sure it just did." Noctis' grin was painted from ear to ear.

Prompto's playful expression suddenly turned serious, his gaze trailing off to avoid eye contact with the Prince when he lifted his sack and spread his legs to give Noctis full access. "Well," the blond spoke quietly, "go ahead."

Noct quickly grabbed the bottle of lube and coated himself slick. He lined himself up with Prompto's entrance and wheezed with gratification as the tip of his painfully hard erection made direct contact with the blond's warm skin that twitched with nervous anticipation.

The blond tensed immediately, but pre-empted Noct's instruction for him to relax, trying his best to loosen his tight muscles somehow. He was hyper-aware of the harsh rasp of his own breathing, which trembled audibly in the darkness.

"You got this," the Prince whispered, and the reply he got was uncharacteristically sharp.

"Damn it Noct, hurry up and do it before I chicken out."

Raising an eyebrow and taking his partner at his word, the brunette eased his hips forward, his tip accidentally slicking up over unyielding flesh three times before he finally grabbed himself under the head and physically guided himself in. Prompto had remained stoically silent through this process, but when the indescribably-solid heat of Noct slid in, slow, hard, and in one excruciating movement, he sobbed raggedly in shock and pain at the same time as the Prince seethed in completely new pleasure.

"Gods, Prom," the Prince muttered with desire, head low and tone husky, his voice as shaky as the trembling biceps that were barely holding himself up. Revelling in the newfound pleasure from bottoming out inside Prompto's tight heat, Noct was almost afraid to ask for fear of the answer, but did so anyway out of underlying concern for his partner. "You okay?"

"Yes," the blond managed to squeak through the radiating pain and the sting of tears that threatened to escape the corners of his eyes. His entire body had become tense and rigid, his fingers digging into Noctis' forearms in an unsuccessful attempt to alleviate the pressure of the intrusion. Although Prompto's resolve to keep going was faltering, he gathered every shred of courage he could muster to bear the burning discomfort and allow Noct to continue.

"Just… give me a minute," Prompto forced through jagged breath. Mentally, the blond was letting go of his former optimism around the possibility of this being even remotely pleasurable, as that was clearly nothing more than a misguided fantasy.

Noctis, Gods bless him, was closing his eyes, and Prompto could feel the anguished quiver of his arm muscles as he struggled not to move, even a millimetre. Nevertheless, every minuscule twitch of his own body sent deep and throbbing aches through his frame, his fingers and toes were tingling painfully, eyes watering with the unadulterated shock and perversity of being impaled like a worm on a hook.

The Prince adjusted his weight very slightly, and the blond groaned in pain, panting for breath, biting his lip and trying to speed up the acclimatisation of feeling like something was stabbing him in the stomach from the inside.

Noctis opened his pleasure-weary eyes, shivering with the need to thrust into his best friend. He saw the intense discomfort on Prompto's elfin features, clear as day, and he wanted more than anything to ease it. Not even to give pleasure...merely, for now, to take away the obvious pain.  
The Prince inhaled a few shallow, fortifying breaths and whispered bravely into the dark.

"I love you."

"...Noct," the blond said, his voice cracking with surprise as the Prince's words echoed in his head and resonated in his chest. Thankful for the darkness, the blond wiped away the tears that were springing up like a tidal wave of overwhelming happiness.

"I- I love you too."

Reaching into raven locks, Prompto pulled the Prince down into a kiss fuelled with what felt like a lifetime of emotion. As their lips smashed desperately together, sparks of passion united and flowed between them. The blond's fingertips travelled past Noctis' shoulders and down the valley of his back where they eventually came to rest upon firm ass cheeks, fingernails digging in gently. The subtle invitation finally allowed Noct to freely succumb to his desires. With a throaty moan that was muffled by Prompto's mouth, the Prince rocked his hips forward slowly to bury himself deeper into his lover.

Noctis heard the broken gasp, the soft grunt from the blond, felt surprisingly-strong, slim fingers bruise into his backside. Biting his lip, choosing to interpret the small sounds as that of long-awaited pleasure, he rocked experimentally, pushing himself to the limit inside his best friend, drinking up the faintest sobs and shaky exhales beneath him.

"Okay, Prom?" he asked croakily as his pelvis pushed against his friend's flesh, and still he tried to nudge a little deeper out of sheer bloody-mindedness.

"M-mm, keep going," Prompto nodded, glancing down between them in apparent awe at the visceral connection they now shared, punctuated by a dull throb of pain, and quiet, but striking, slick and slippery sounds in the gloom. Before his best friend had finished speaking, the Prince had continued, a little faster, his slim hipbones thudding gently against the back of Prompto's muscled thighs.

The blond continued to stare down at the Prince's gradually accelerating movements, and took hold of himself almost as an afterthought, massaging the flaccid flesh, trying to encourage it back to life. Noctis cleared his throat and panted above him, shifting awkwardly on his knees, and manhandling Prompto's legs into a new position, his hips slightly raised as the Prince hiked his lower body up off the bed.

Prompto continued to stroke his erection back to full length while Noctis supported the blond's underside, allowing his long and deliberate thrusts to reach new depths. Prompto whimpered and wheezed reactively to each, biting down on his lower lip in an attempt to silence the embarrassing noises he seemed completely unable to control.

Noct dropped his head to watch his cock disappear over and over inside of his best friend. It was the most erotic sight his eyes had ever witnessed. "Fuck," he swore, wishing that there was more than just a single beam of moonlight from which to enjoy the view. "Prom… you're amazing," he managed to mumble between thrusts.

The Prince daringly picked up his pace, announced by the audible creaking of the mattress, until the gentle rhythmic slapping between them produced faint ripples across Prompto's pale flesh. Despite already coming once earlier, the raven-haired teen wasn't sure how long he was going to last. It was taking every last ounce of willpower he had to keep a controlled pace and stop from slamming selfishly into Prompto's gloriously tight passage.

Prompto released his cock, allowing it to bounce between them as a flash of fear flickered across his face. "Noct…" the blond wheezed. "Noct!" he repeated a second time, with greater urgency. The new angle of the Prince's movements was striking something foreign and tingly deep inside. "Wait... It feels… strange."

Noctis had just offered a particularly deep and satisfying thrust, letting out a groan of almost musical pleasure, when his best friend's words filtered through to him.

"Huh? Does it hurt?" The Prince was already getting ready to pull out, causing Prompto to stutter in panic and speedily halt him with a strengthened grip on his buttocks.

"N-no, I didn't say that...um..." Blushing a sweet dark pink, visible even in the low light, Prompto hoisted his hips up a little more, wriggling on the pillow he rested on, and hooking Noctis with his ankles. "Let's...let's try this?" he asked coyly.

Cautious hope dawned on Noctis, and he raised his eyebrows under damp black hair, panting in excitement. "Was that it? Did I get it?"

Prompto managed to laugh briefly, rocking Noct's weight into him affectionately. "I dunno, that's why you gotta do it again."

With an amused huff, Noctis nodded and obeyed, pushing forward with a tight sigh of delight, his head hanging as he absorbed the unparalleled sensation of being squeezed and heated deep inside his best friend. Prompto, too, rode the now-familiar swollen feeling of intrusion and discomfort, swallowing and frowning against the pulse of muted pain.

When the Prince didn't receive any favourable reaction, he pulled a slight face of irritation and lifted Prompto's slim hips higher, adjusting his own position and resting him almost on his lap, splayed out irresistibly in front of him.

"Mmm. Nice view," Noctis chuffed with a smirk right before pulling the blond's hips down onto him.

"Ahhh!" Prompto moaned in surprise and fear as he sat fully impaled upon his Prince. The head of Noctis' cock was putting pressure on something deep inside of him that was igniting strange tingles of radiating pleasure. Although it scared him, he wanted to feel more of the sensation so the blond adjusted himself, arching his back to allow for greater friction against that spot. The extreme vulgarity of his new, exposed position sent a surge of shameful exhilaration through him and a rush of blood to his already rock-hard erection.

"Ah… yeah, I think like this," Prompto encouraged, his high-pitched voice straining while he stroked himself once more.

Noct gratefully complied, taking a firm grip of his partner's hips and raising them up and down over his rigid cock. He was able to tell from the crinkled expression on Prompto's face that he was doing something right.

"Oh gods! Noct!" the blond cried unexpectedly, pleading for Noctis to keep going as they picked up speed. "Don't stop." The former pain had all but subsided, replaced with maddening, tickling streams of pleasure radiating out from the spot deep within him that Noct was trying his best to hit with each upward thrust. A thick roll of pre-come trickled over the blond's knuckles, his pumps becoming more and more erratic, like his breathing. "Don't- stop- Noct-."

Although Noctis' muscles screamed in pain, the Prince was determined to keep hoisting Prompto's body over top of him, his vision blurring with the euphoria induced by the blond's twitching passage squeezing reactively around him.

"Prom…" Noctis' voice died in the back of his throat, replaced with huffs and moans as he forced his aching muscles to continue feeding Prompto's pleasure.

"Noct! I think I-… I'm coming!" the blond shouted suddenly.

"Oh, yes," Noctis hissed victoriously, seizing whatever energy he could dredge from his tired muscles and fucking Prompto with delirious fervour. The blond's voice squeaked out in breathless, high-pitched shocks as he used his spare hand to grasp onto the damp black bedsheets for an anchor, Noct's weight scooting him up the bed with every rough push.

Prompto was startled at the hot, watery surge of come that spurted from him in a surprise fountain, and then continued to pulse and ooze from him in a steady stream. His orgasm not yet crested, but towering behind all his heightened and frantic senses, he gasped at the wetness that soon soaked his own abdomen. Feeling bewildered and embarrassed, almost as if he was urinating, he stopped stroking himself and gripped his slick base self-consciously, fingers slipping on the red-hot, lubricious flesh.

"Don't stop it," the Prince commanded in an almost angry huff, batting the blond's hand away from the base of his shaft and taking up Prompto's cock himself. He jerked the blond's soaking erection furiously, working the slickness into a froth with his tight fist while he pounded into the blond's ass with renewed ferocity.

Prompto's eyes rolled behind closing lids, his back arching stiffly as he reached his peak and toppled over it into an oblivion of blissful rapture. "Ahhhhh, Noct-" he cried as sparks of euphoria danced across his entire body, and a seemingly endless stream of come erupted across his stomach and chest. Through his orgasm, Prompto's tight passage bore down around Noctis' length, the spasming rings of muscles quickly drowning the Prince in a pool of ecstasy.

"Fuck," Noctis gave a carnal growl as he let himself be pulled under by the waves of Prompto's pleasure.

Trying to thrust, to shove into Prompto's sleek body and manage the shocks of pleasure with movement, Noctis hissed with surprise and near-pain when he realised that he was being clamped tightly by blood-hot, pulsing muscles, and couldn't move. His orgasm stretching into a blinding sort of agony, he struggled to endure it, feebly clenching his fists and tightening his calf and thigh muscles. Finally outright screaming, even as his best friend jolted and cried out pitiably beneath him, the Prince voraciously filled up his lover.

Riding out his euphoria as best he could, Noct's yell soon devolved into weak grunts and wheezy sighs, his delicate features twisted in effort and overwhelming pleasure. He shivered, barely managing to stay upright, gasping out husky little noises with each weakening throb of Prompto's hot passage around him. It seemed a long, exhausting age before he managed to pull out with a lukewarm gush of liquid, and he had the breathless wherewithal to crawl to one side of his partner before collapsing with a groan.

The two teens nestled quietly against one other, listening to the sound of their pounding heartbeats and heavy breathing begin to slow. Their exhausted bodies glistened in the darkness with a sheen of sweat and sex. Noctis' eyes had slipped shut, his body freely succumbing to the deep-seated desire for the sleep that was about to overtake him, had it not been for the pointy elbow now jabbing into his ribs.

"Hey," Prompto groaned lazily into the Prince's shoulder, the aftermath of bliss still present in his cracking voice.

"Nm?" the Prince grumbled.

"Wake up, you." Prompto mustered enough energy to roll onto his side to face Noctis, consciously making an effort to stay far enough back so that the fluids trickling across his stomach didn't get on his partner. "Don't tell me you're just gonna leave me here like this!"

Noctis peeked sideways at the blond who was grinning at him in disbelief. His glance shifted downward to the white, sticky mess Prompto was complaining about. "Why not? Looks good on you," the Prince snickered.

"It's your duty, dude," Prompto insisted, poking the Prince gently in the shoulder. "Gotta pamper me."

"I thought I was the lazy one," Noct shrugged as best he could while sprawled close against his lover, whose blue eyes were contradictorily bright with exertion and satiety.

"You are, but I'm currently the one with the crippled ass," the blond griped.

"You weren't complaining two minutes ago," Noctis chuckled huskily, although he sat up with a crack of joints and a long sigh at the throb in his overworked muscles that promised a world of pain in the morning. Smirking at the disgruntled, adorable pout on Prompto's sweat-damp and pinkened features, he abruptly leaned down and kissed it away. His best friend made a small, delicious noise of surprise, and then pushed him away playfully.

"And hurry back," Prompto grinned.

Five minutes later, Noctis had indeed cleaned his partner, smearing away the sticky liquid that coated him like icing, and making the occasional impressed noise of snarky appreciation at the sheer volume of it. This earned him a few affectionate punches of reprimand.  
No sooner had he thrown the used washcloth to the hardwood floor and yawned, Noctis wormed his way against Prompto's side, nuzzling his freckled bicep briefly before closing his eyes and relaxing his mind.

"You know, you've been falling asleep on me since the second day we ever hung out."

Noct nodded lethargically in agreement. He had, at the time, been mildly embarrassed to have drifted into a pleasing nap that lunchtime, waking up with his head at an awkward angle against Prompto, his new friend's, shoulder. Apparently, though, not embarrassed enough to make sure it didn't happen again, because it became a routine occurrence over the years.

"Yeah, but I don't think I've ever had a better reason than tonight," the Prince mumbled with a grin, snuggling closer into Prompto and exhaling approvingly when the blond reached over the side of the bed and pulled the duvet up over the top of them.

"I think you got that right," Prompto smiled, wincing a little as he slid himself feebly off the bed. "Don't fade on me just yet, Your Highness. There's one last thing we gotta do before you pass out!"

Noctis just moaned and nestled deeper underneath the fluffy down covers, rolling into the warm spot left behind by his partner. The blond crept from the room, returning just moments later to a dozing Prince. He scooted in beside Noctis once more, chuckling softly. "Hey you, say cheese!"

The brunette grunted, opening his eyes more to confirm that Prompto was really intending to postpone their nap with a photograph, than an intention of actually staying awake.

"Are you...oh," Noctis uttered in a husky whisper, a small, glowing smile gracing his delicate features. "You're insane, you know that?"

Prompto flashed his thousand-watt grin and nodded with light-hearted agreement. "Yeah. But you love me anyway, right?"

He encouraged his best friend to sit a little more upright, propped back against the sumptuous mound of black pillows, and placed Noct's Prom King crown upon his damp hair. He settled his own, thinner, more complex crown onto his own head, crushing already-wilted, wet-sand coloured hair. Scooping his arm tightly around the Prince, he turned the camera on with his free hand.

"Always," Noct promised simply, beaming.

He adjusted his metallic crown slightly, smoothing sweaty hair from his grey-blue eyes as Prompto held his camera aloft in front of them, and pressed the shutter button.


	12. Epilogue

Prompto shifted his back against the cool concrete wall of Noctis' training room, silently thanking the gods for the padded exercise mats that covered the floors. Two whole days had passed since their prom night escapades and he was starting to wonder if his backside would ever be the same again. Although he was still getting over the minor discomfort, it was a reminder of how close he and Noct had finally become, and the idea of them being boyfriends was keeping a near-constant smile on his face ever since.

The typical sounds of afternoon training, mainly the clanging of wooden swords, the heaving grunts of physical exertion, and the occasional curses from an outright exhausted Prince, all faded into the background as the blond flicked through the photos on his camera. He found himself grinning ear to ear upon his arrival at the disastrous mess of sweaty hair, rosy cheeks, and awkward grins that forever captured the aftermath of their first time. He made a mental note to print the shot later, so that it could adorn prime real estate along the edge of the mirror on the back of his bedroom door.

Things sure had taken a turn for the better, and for the first time in a long time, Prompto felt excited and hopeful about the future. He was excited about starting summer vacation with Noct by his side. Maybe once he got a job and saved up enough money, he could afford to take Noctis out on another date. He was pretty sure it would be hard to beat prom night, but still, he had started crafting a mental list of all the things they could do together this summer, and it was growing exponentially fast.

"Hey blondie, tell your boyfriend here to pull up his socks." The sound of Gladio's scruffy, and slightly irritated, voice suddenly startled Prompto from his daydreams.

Two things occurred to Prompto before Gladio's actual words filtered into his distracted brain. The first was the term 'boyfriend,' which had stuck out in the sentence like a gold nugget in so much sand. Boyfriend! Someone other than he or Noctis was using the term, making the whole thing even more __real__. The sensation that those two syllables evoked in him were a curious and pleasant mixture of pride, arousal and glee.

The second was the appearance of Noctis, who had glanced over at him and was offering a crooked, affectionate, and somewhat flirtatious smile. The weather outside was unseasonably warm, with only the slightest breeze to ease sticky skin, and despite the powerful air conditioning in this room, it was clearly affecting the Prince too.

Noct had been working impressively hard, or so it seemed to Prompto, who would be the first to admit happy ignorance of royal military training. His boyfriend's hair had been smoothed back by hot, damp hands, and for once his forehead was visible, beaded with sweat and only decorated with a few wet, black strands of hair. He kept lifting his already-soaked white shirt up to dab at his perspiring face, giving Prompto the frequent sight of muscled abs and slim hips, and two faint bumps indicated his nipples through the tight material. It was taking him considerable effort to avert his eyes and bleach his mind of dirty thoughts at these instances.

"Uh," Prompto replied eloquently, as he finally realised he had been given an instruction by the equally-impressive behemoth that was Gladio. "He seems to be doing okay?" he offered.

"That so? Looks to me like Prince Charmless here's takin' a vacation," the larger man grumbled, taking another swing at the Prince with his oversized weapon.

"Not yet," Noct mumbled, barely audible over the clash of wood that echoed through the stagnant air as he stumbled against the weight of Gladio's blade.

Prompto perked up at the comment, one eyebrow cocked.

"Say what, now?" the larger man questioned.

Noctis petulantly said nothing, just side-stepped and attempted a quick swipe at Gladio's side, only to be effortlessly blocked and then forced backwards with a hard shove of the Shield's sturdy sword. The Prince wiped a damp forearm across his face again, not in the mood for training and certainly not training accompanied by the sort of interrogation that always made him feel like he was being treated like a child.

"Can't hear ya, short stuff," Gladio insisted flatly, poking Noctis rudely with the blunted end of his weapon.

"He's just tired, don't pay him any attention," Prompto piped up, his hopeful voice echoing slightly in the balmy vastness of the gym. Not exactly sure what he was defending Noct about, he could nevertheless sense forthcoming angst between the Prince and his guardian, and suspected that the idea of a mini-break would __not__ go down well with his advisors.

As friendly as they were with each other, Gladio and Noctis still tended to have spats due to fundamental personality differences, not helped by the Shield's habit of relentlessly teasing his ward. And the both of them were fiery and proud enough to let any trivial argument devolve into actual fisticuffs if they weren't stopped.

"Not talking to you, blondie. Noct, you taking the piss? If you're fighting this bad, there's no way Iggy'll let you take a holiday." At the side of the lofty, dust- and sweat-scented room, Prompto wondered how much of this was empty threat. "Especially if you're gonna spend it boning pretty boy," Gladio added with an inflammatory smirk.

"It's for fishing, ok?!" Prompto blurted out, cheeks ablaze and looking like he was surprised at the sound of his own high-pitched voice. "I mean… that's not what we'd… be doing…" he clarified, voice trailing off as he looked away.

Both men turned toward the flustered blond and stared at him for a moment until their silence finally gave way to snickering.

"Pfft. Ya really expect me to believe that?" the Shield teased.

"Yeah really, Prompto," the Prince agreed with a smirk.

"Noctis!" Prompto squeaked with embarrassment.

"What?" the raven-haired teen queried. "Thought you said you wanted to go to Galdin Quay this weekend?"

"Are you serious?" Prompto asked with a nervous yet hopeful smile.

"Yup."

"All right, lover boys," the Shield interrupted, tossing a spare towel toward the Prince's face. "Practice is over for today. You'd better go talk to Ignis about your little excursion. And don't think for a second that you'll be allowed to go alone. This shield needs to work on his tan," the giant man snickered as he pointed his thumb at his bulging pectorals.

"No time for that. We're gonna need 24-hour chaperoning to stop us boning," Noctis shrugged with a whimsical smile, and the affronted, wordless responses of both his Shield and boyfriend rang out in the reverberant gym.

* * *

 _ _N – Dude we have to talk__

Prompto was in the middle of one of central Insomnia's backstreets the next day, eyeing up the Staff Wanted sign in a compact-looking video game shop contemplatively.

He had bypassed the main hub, fairly certain that both the affluence of the shops and eateries there as well as the eternal busyness of the thoroughfare would kill him with anxiety just __thinking__ about getting part-time work there. This little street however, a fair distance from the central plaza and dotted with shops more eclectic, more affordable, and frankly less-visited, was ticking a lot of boxes.

Postponing his inner pep talk to urge him to actually go through the door and ask about the job, he gratefully pulled out his phone and then frowned at the message, thumbing back a rapid reply.

 _ _P - What's up, something wrong?__ (◍•﹏•)

Noctis probably wanted to break up with him. Or, like, annul the relationship. As if it had never happened. Damn it, he's screwed up already, and Noct had finally realised what a complete loser he was. Still, he could only be thankful that he'd lasted this many years in the Prince's favour.

 _ _N – It's about Galdin__

Okay...maybe not a break-up then. At least, not yet. When Noctis didn't reply straight away, Prompto thumbed out another quick text.

 _ _P – Tell meeee__

 _ _N – Kay, so__

 _ _N – I asked Iggy__

 _ _N – turns out__

 _ _N – its fine and we can go haha__ (⌐■_■)

Exhaling out the breath he had apparently been holding in a relieved huff, Prompto texted back, shaking his head in fond reprimand.

 _ _P – You're an asshole__

 _ _N – Yeah, I love you too.__

The blonde smirked, unable to deny it.

 _ _P – Just a bit__ ^.~

 _ _N – We'll see.__ (*＾-') 乃

Now that prom night was over and quite frankly couldn't have gone much better despite all his prior misgivings, he found he was facing a whole new slew of anxieties over their first vacation together.

Still, he wouldn't miss it for the world.


End file.
